


The Thirteenth Month

by lovetoseverus



Category: EverQuest, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action, Adventure, Conjuror, Dark Elf, F/M, Fantasy, Fury, Half Elf, Healer, Het, Human, Hurt/Comfort, Journey, Light BDSM, M/M, MMORPGs, Magic, Odyssey, Paladin, Pegasus - Freeform, Peril, Role-Playing Game, Romance, Science, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Slash, Swords, Time Travel, Video Game, Wizard, another world - Freeform, different planet, druid, erudite, high elf, inquisitor - Freeform, necromancer - Freeform, sex in unusual places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetoseverus/pseuds/lovetoseverus
Summary: While working on castle reparations after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione are accidentally pulled into a time road and transported to a distant realm. Stranded on a strange planet where their magic no longer works, they must help their new guardians solve the time riddle and find their way home. But what if the solution means only one of them can be sent back? Slash, Harry/OMC. Het, Hermione/OMC.
Relationships: Harry Potter/OMC, Hermione Granger/OMC
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Note:** Knowledge of the EverQuest game is not needed to follow this story.
> 
>  **A/N:** This story has had a long road to get here. I originally plotted it out in 2012 with the help of an author friend and intended to start working on it right away. However, I just couldn’t find a voice for it, so it languished on my computer until 2016, when I dusted it off and fiddled with it some more. But as before, it just wasn’t speaking to me. Frustrated, I put it away and half forgot about it. Then in August of 2019, _while I was in the middle of writing another fic *ahem*_ , this story rammed into me headlong. It was demanding and insistent and instantly filled my head with characters and conversations and scenes and story must-haves and why-aren’t-you-writing-these-down-yets. It was utterly thrilling, if not a bit perplexing. I mean, why now, after all these years? However, not being one to question a muse, I let it flow, and here it is. I hope you enjoy this little corner of my mind. Note: Some of the details and lore from the game have been changed to suit my story. The inconsistencies are minor and I invoke artistic license. ;) (And yes, I will eventually post that other fic, too!)
> 
>  **Gratitude:** Thanks much to Tamzen for helping me plot the initial story structure, to JaseFinley for filling in the gaps with his extensive knowledge of game lore (as well as indulging me in many interesting and thought-provoking discussions), and to SnapesFavorite for being the loveliest beta, cheerleader and friend.

The sounds of discord raged above him in the castle. He knew this day would come. He also knew these items, the artifacts he’d been sworn to protect, mustn’t be discovered. They were to remain a secret at all costs. If needs must, they’d said, die with the knowledge – it was that important. Better to let their exploits be lost to the ravages of time than to fall into the wrong hands.

What he had not counted on was being the last of this line, for his children were magically inert. He had spent a lifetime acting as steward and guardian for this secret, as had his father before him. But what of it now? He had no viable successor.

Holding fast to a plain, leather-bound journal, he swept the stray dust from its cover. Everything, including his studies and research, was recorded within. He’d written it in their language, of course – a concession, so that it would remain unreadable to all but their kin. For despite their edict, he had no intention of letting his life’s work be lost forever.

Above him, dust trickled from the ceiling as faint tremors shook the walls. He must hurry.

A flick of his wand settled the objects into a hollowed-out section of the castle wall, far below ground, in the depths of its dungeons. Unbeknownst to him, the objects would sit idle for 122 years, sealed behind brick like a makeshift mausoleum. For in some ways it was.

The sounds of running footsteps drew ever closer, perhaps only a floor above him now.

He quickly surveyed the room and set the final details to rights: a fresh layer of dust across the stone floor returned it to its undisturbed state, just as it had been for centuries before him. The walls, mercifully, had long-ago dried, so that only the vestiges of calcified moss would hint that water had ever dared to venture this deep.

Satisfied, he exited and resealed the entrance to the room, but with mortar and not magic. The pulse of spell energy would only serve to alert someone to the fact that this door hid something. And a door could only hide what did not proclaim to exist.

#


	2. Chapter 2

**AUGUST 1998**

“You gonna help, or what?” Ron Weasley asked, kicking the sole of Harry’s shoe. Harry was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, one leg stretched out in front of him, his nose stuck in a fantasy novel. His eyes didn’t even leave the page when he answered.

“Yeah, hang on, almost done with this chapter…”

“You’re starting to sound like Hermione,” Ron observed. “It’s weird.”

“There’s nothing weird about reading a book!” Hermione put in from across the room. Hannah Abbott, who was working alongside Hermione, offered her agreement in the form of a giggle.

Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas joined them then, having just finished up with the last room. They had all volunteered to help with castle reparations and were stationed in the lower dungeons of the castle – dormant areas that were no longer used, but were still vulnerable to damage. They’d all silently agreed that the topside sections of the castle still held too many painful memories, so they’d avoided those areas for now.

Headmistress McGonagall had tasked them, as well as other groups of older students, with going room to room and testing for cracks in the foundation and weaknesses in the castle’s enchantments. Hogwarts had stood for a thousand years already, and she was intent on seeing it stand for another thousand at least.

“What happened with this door?” Dean asked, referring to the large chunk missing along its top edge – a chunk that was still affixed to the frame. Ron was standing closest.

“It was sealed shut,” he said, “so we had to force it open. We can fix it when we’re done.”

Dean looked impressed but just nodded.

“This room’s really dusty,” Neville observed, scrunching up his nose.

“Just like the last four,” Dean said.

“No, I mean like…” Neville looked around, as though trying to decide how to describe what he felt he was seeing. “Like _purposefully_ dusty.”

Dean merely gave the room another cursory glance and then shrugged. He addressed Hermione while jabbing a thumb towards the wall closest to him. “You checked this one yet?”

“No, we just started here, so you can work from that corner.” Hermione pointed across the room from where she and Hannah were standing.

“Right-o,” Dean said, and waved Neville over to help him start scanning. Neville, for his part, merely frowned, glancing around the room again as though he wanted to remark about it further, but then gave it up for a lost cause.

The scanning worked best in pairs, with one person testing for physical issues in the castle’s structure and the other person testing for gaps in the magical protections. It was a slow process, evaluating one meter sections at a time across an entire room, floor to ceiling, but it had already proven worthwhile: in one of the last four rooms, they had fixed a hairline fracture in one of the walls. Even if it hadn’t been caused during the Battle of Hogwarts, it was still important to fix, as small issues would only compound over time.

“Yes!” Harry cried, startling a few of his friends with his unexpected outburst. “I was hoping they would all make it back to Lyria in time! Now Draegmor can finally bugger off and leave the elves to their kingdom.” He closed his book with a snap and set it aside, a smile on his face. He was one book away from the end of this particular series (well, one book and four chapters), and already he was on the edge of his seat waiting for the conclusion. It was only the third series he’d read so far, but he was hooked. Hermione had been right to suggest them. He never could have anticipated he’d enjoy fantasy books (or reading in general, really) but he’d pleasantly surprised himself.

Ron picked up Harry’s wand and tossed it to him. “Unless those elves of yours are going to scan this wall for us, I could use your help.”

Harry hopped up, wand in hand. “Sorry, mate, I just had to finish that part.” Ron rolled his eyes, but it was a good-natured exasperation, and Harry grinned. “You on physical or magic?”

“Physical. You’re better at the magic part.”

Harry nodded and stationed himself next to Ron so he could follow in his friend’s wake. With his wand against the brick wall, Harry closed his eyes and reached out mentally to feel for the castle’s magic. He hadn’t found a gap yet in the rooms they’d checked so far, but he knew when he did, it would be obvious. The Headmistress had demonstrated for him when they’d first arrived so he’d know what to look for.

Normally, the enchantments on the castle felt warm and gooey, like a liquid blanket. It was the effect of having layer upon layer of interlocking spells – some to cloak and disguise, some to protect, some to monitor activity, and others to dampen the surplus magic present inside the castle, especially during the school year. If Harry poked at it just right with his wand, the entire thing would ripple and glow a bluish white. If there were any gaps, they would make themselves known – much like holes in fabric, they wouldn’t move the same as the surrounding material.

However, something was different in this room. He’d been noticing a subtle shift the lower they went in the castle, but until now, he wondered if he’d been imagining it. Whatever it was, it felt like it was coming up through the floor, a separate source of magic, something that might have been combining with the castle’s magic, or perhaps… no. That couldn’t be, could it? Harry tipped his head to the side, considering. Could this additional source of magic be _powering_ the castle? Unlike the normal enchantments, this stuff buzzed with electricity, raising the hair on Harry’s arms now that he’d dialed into it properly. He’d always thought the castle was alive – not sentience, exactly, but some kind of existence all its own. Was this livewire of magical energy the source of that?

He turned to say something about it to Hermione and quickly realized they were talking over each other.

“Hermione—”

“Harry—”

They stared at each other a moment, then laughed.

“Go ahead,” Harry offered.

“Come here, you should listen to this.”

For a second, Harry thought she had become aware of the same thing he had, until he remembered Hermione was doing the physical scanning. Perhaps she had discovered something on the structural side, though. Hannah was looking over Hermione’s shoulder when Harry stepped over.

“Listen,” Hermione said, and Harry leaned closer. She was tapping the base of her wand against the wall. It made the sort of sound he expected: the dull clink of wood against brick. He was about to question what she wanted him to listen for when she moved her wand several inches to the left. The change in sound was immediate. The clink was brighter now and it had a slight echo, as though there was space behind the wall.

Harry stood up, his eyes wide. “Is it hollow behind there?”

“I don’t know,” Hermione said. “It sounds like it, doesn’t it?”

Harry nodded. He stepped back to take in the wall as a whole. It looked the same as the rest of the room. It was simply a brick wall, as blank and nondescript as every other one they’d seen. Harry’s eyes couldn’t even pick out a pattern in the grout, something that might suggest a hidden passageway or opening had been accessed before. Maybe they were the first to discover this – whatever _this_ was?

Thrumming with excitement, he said, “Let’s open it up and see.”

“ _Harry_ ,” Hermione cautioned. “We have no idea what’s back there, if anything. I don’t feel comfortable opening up walls of the castle.” By now, Ron, Dean and Neville had also gathered around them to see what was going on.

“Then why did you point it out?” Harry asked. “Admit it, you’re just as curious as I am.”

“Yes, _curious_ , but that doesn’t mean we should _act_ on it.”

“One brick,” Harry promised. “That won’t affect the castle structurally, and if there’s something important behind there, we’ll get the Headmistress involved and she can decide what to do with it.”

Hermione sighed. She knew she’d lost. It didn’t help that Ron and Dean were both nodding their heads in agreement with Harry. Neville was looking a bit wary, and Hannah merely shrugged.

“Fine,” Hermione agreed. “ _One_ brick.”

Harry grinned and stepped up to the wall. He pressed the tip of his wand to a brick about eye level and closed his eyes, dropping back into that mental space where he could connect with the castle’s magic. Within moments, he could feel his wand mingling with the layered enchantments, as well as sense that more potent magic humming beneath his feet. For the time being, he decided not to mention the latter –he wanted to see what was behind this wall first.

Using his wand to slice through the spell layer, Harry traced around the brick so he could isolate it from the others. Or at least he hoped that’s what he was doing. When he finished, he once again scanned the area before him. Sure enough, there was a rectangular hole in the spell layer, but it didn’t seem like it had disturbed the surrounding enchantments. He smiled.

“Your turn,” he said to Hermione. “I’ve cleared the spells from this brick.” He pointed to the one in question.

Hermione nodded and they switched places. Using what appeared to be a similar technique, Hermione traced her wand around the perimeter of the brick. The grout that had sealed it in place dissolved to dust. When she finished, she had to wave her hand a few times to clear the resulting cloud. Hannah coughed.

Hermione looked like she was still second-guessing the wisdom of this decision, but proceeded at the encouraging looks she was getting. She took a step back to give herself room, the others re-adjusting around her. She pointed her wand at the brick, then raised her left hand as well, counterbalancing the spell. Slowly, she pulled the brick out of its resting place, one small nudge at a time. When it cleared the wall, she carefully lowered it to the floor behind them.

Harry stepped up to the wall. “ _Lumos maxima_ ,” he said, then put his wand through the opening and looked inside. It was indeed a hollowed-out space behind the wall, but it wasn’t as big as he had expected. It might have held one person in addition to the other items. He could just make out the edge of a table of some kind, its surface covered with objects long-since hidden under a blanket of dust.

“Well?” Ron asked, the eagerness evident in his voice.

“It’s a small space, just like we thought,” Harry started. “I can’t see too much from this angle, but there’s definitely some stuff in there.” He pulled his wand out and doused its light. “We need to make a bigger opening.”

Hermione brushed past him, repeated Harry’s light spell, and looked for herself. Apparently satisfied that their discovery didn’t appear to be something dangerous, she nodded her head. Together, her and Harry performed the same steps again – Harry slicing through the enchantments, Hermione removing the grout and bricks – until they had opened up a space large enough to fit Harry’s torso inside. He lit his wand again and got his first real look.

It wasn’t so much a room as a hiding place. It was big enough for one person –barely – as most of the space was filled with a square table, the legs of which were made from bones that were so large, they could have easily come from a dinosaur. The outlines of the objects on the table’s surface seemed to indicate there was a book of some kind, some parchments, and something roughly cylindrical. They were so heavily laden with dust that Harry knew there was no sense trying to brush them off by hand.

He pulled out of the opening. “Does anyone know a dust-clearing spell?”

“I can try,” Neville said, surprising everyone. He merely shrugged at their reaction, mumbling something about it being similar to cleaning dirt off of flower pots and planters. He still looked a bit uncertain about this whole thing, but ducked into the opening like a champ. Moments later, he pulled back out. “Clean as a whistle,” he remarked.

Harry clapped Neville on the back in thanks while Hermione took his place. Soon she emerged with the three objects in her arms. Her puzzled expression made Harry curious and he leaned in for a closer look. The parchments turned out to be star maps or planetary charts of some kind, though everything was written in a weird language. The letterforms and symbols looked a bit like claw scratches – mostly vertical lines, but there were some horizontal and curved shapes, too. The book that accompanied the maps was also handwritten in the same scratchy language.

But as intriguing as those items were, it was really the cylindrical object that caught Harry’s eye. He took it from Hermione to inspect it closer. It looked like a gold, metal baton, similar to those things runners pass from one teammate to the next. Except this wasn’t technically a cylinder. It was hexagonal, with five dials top to bottom. Engraved on each of the dials was another of the strange symbols. It appeared like the dials moved, but Harry was reluctant to test that theory.

When viewed together, the three objects looked old-fashioned, like a style or craftsmanship that had been lost to the ages, and he wondered how long they’d been inside the wall. He couldn’t see any dates or markers of time on anything, although it was quite possible the notation was done in the same language as everything else, which meant he wouldn’t be able to read it anyway.

Dean and Neville eventually lost interest, and went back to scanning their wall. Hermione was paging through the book and Hannah excused herself to use the loo. That left Ron.

“What do you make of all this?” Harry asked him.

Ron merely shrugged. “Dunno. Probably just some old wizard who stashed his junk down here and then died before he could retrieve it.” He glanced at the items once more, then turned back to work on his wall, too.

Harry looked over at Hermione and she nodded, seeming to agree with Ron. She turned and placed the maps and book back inside the wall.

“We should wall this back up,” she said.

“Hang on,” Harry said, still intent on learning more about the baton. He didn’t know how he was going to do that, exactly, but he was willing to give it a few more minutes. He tried several different holds and hand positions, to see if any of those made a difference (they didn’t), and was about to give up when it suddenly pulsed at him. He gasped.

“Maybe you should put that back,” Hermione said, on edge. “We don’t know what it does.”

But Harry was not to be deterred. The device – for he was now convinced it _was_ a device – had completely captured him. It was still giving off a faint pulse and Harry wanted to know what it did or what it was used for. He rotated it slowly in his hands but was careful not to move any of the dials. Given that it seemed to have its own energy source, he didn’t want to accidentally press something.

Suddenly, two of the dials lit up, and Harry froze. A third dial shifted forward one position. He cradled the baton in both of his hands, afraid to move. When the dial at the end moved, matching itself to the first dial, Harry started to panic. “Um, Hermione…”

“What?” she asked, whipping around. Her impatience switched to concern when she saw the look on his face, then looked down at the baton. The entire thing was glowing, a soft blue light emanating from between each of the dials and around all of its edges. He wanted to tell her it had started vibrating, too, but he couldn’t get words to form.

“Put it down!” she shrieked. The others in the room turned at her tone of alarm but merely stood and watched with varying degrees of confusion on their faces.

Hermione lunged towards Harry, presumably to swat the baton out of his hand, but she missed, and instead landed half on top of him. They each had a hold of one end, and she was trying to wrestle it away from him when it made some kind of low, harmonic noise. The pair of them froze, their eyes wide, just as the room around them whited out in a flash of blinding light. One heart-pounding second was all it took for Harry to know, without a doubt, that the device had just activated.

#


	3. Chapter 3

**DAY 1 – Early Afternoon**

The blinding flash of light faded and plunged them into darkness. Hermione was about to ask what was going on when a large ring of blue light appeared above their heads, wide enough to encompass the two of them and probably thirty of their friends. Both she and Harry looked up and watched as the ring started to drop towards them, picking up speed as it went, giving the impression it was moving along the outside of a gigantic cylinder.

Before they even had a chance to react, the ring whizzed past their shoulders and feet and came to a stop about six meters below them. As it started to turn in a slow circle, Hermione felt like she was pushed off a ledge. Overcome with the sensation of falling into a hole, she screamed, not feeling anything of substance around or below her. She didn’t know where they were falling to, or if she was even facing right-side-up at the moment. All around her was black.

The ring picked up speed, the dizzying combination of a free-fall and the spinning lights making her feel ill. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to stave it off. The feeling of movement without the visual accompaniment – indeed, without even a breeze through her hair – was unnerving. What would happen when, or if, they ever reached the bottom? Would they land on their heads? There was no way they could possibly survive this… was there?

When the spinning abruptly stopped, she was shocked to find herself unharmed –and standing. She expected to be hurt after falling for so long. Her heart racing, she opened her eyes and looked over at Harry, who was patting his hands around his body, trying to make sure everything was intact and where it was supposed to be.

“Hermione, are you okay?” he said, moving closer, the same panicked expression on his face.

“Yeah,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I think so…”

“What _was_ that thing?” Harry asked, but the question died on his lips, for the pair of them froze, noticing their surroundings for the first time.

They were outdoors, in the middle of what appeared to be a vast savanna. To their right stood a mountain range, the jagged peaks of reddish rock barely visible in the haze of sunshine. In the distance, Hermione could see a few simple buildings and a smattering of arid vegetation dotting the rolling green and tan hills. She might have convinced herself it was somewhere in the African plains if not for the topography being all wrong and the fact that there were a handful of castle spires floating in the sky some distance away.

A curved shadow fell over the area where they stood and Hermione turned to see what it was. She gasped, grabbing for Harry’s arm and trying to get words to form. Fortunately, none were necessary, as Harry had turned at the same time and they both stood below the towering structure with their mouths wide open. It must have been the transportation device they’d just traveled through, yet Hermione could not account for anything like it in either the Muggle or Wizarding worlds. A sense of dread trickled down her spine.

From the dusty ground rose three curved structures, like claws coming up through the earth, arranged in a triadic formation. They must have stood over thirty meters high, with strange gold and turquoise markings scrawled across them. She wasn’t sure if they were decorative or perhaps some form of hieroglyph. In the center was a round platform that contained a smaller version of the claws in the same dark, bronze-like metal, and surrounding that was a glowing vortex of turquoise light. It rose in a column, swirling and twisting around itself as it climbed towards the sky.

They didn’t get much more time to contemplate it before Hermione heard a low growl behind her. Whipping around, she found the glowing eyes of some sort of creature prowling towards them from the crest of a nearby hill. From this distance she couldn’t exactly tell what it was, but knew it wasn’t there to welcome them. Slipping her wand into her hand, and seeing Harry do the same next to her, they both stood their ground as they watched, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. This transportation device, whatever it was, would provide no cover or shelter for them unless the swirling light in the center would somehow keep foes at bay.

Soon the one animal was joined by a pack of several others, all making their way slowly down the hill nearest to them, their bared white teeth glinting in the sunlight. Now properly freaked out, Hermione pointed her wand at the leader and said, _“_ _Stupefy!_ _”_

To her horror, nothing happened.

She tried it again while Harry yelled _“_ _Bombardus!_ _”_ and noticed that nothing came from the end of his wand either. It was like the wood had just gone dead. With each passing second, everything was confirming her greatest fear: they were no longer on Earth. How else to explain this strange land with its improbable sights, mysterious transportation device, and wands that now seemed little more than useless twigs?

Harry and Hermione backed up together towards the device but weren’t sure they should stand in the center lest it carry them off somewhere else or perhaps just vaporize them. They both knew enough about magic to know that when you didn’t know, you left it alone – strange, glowing batons with odd symbols notwithstanding. Merlin, she was going to kill Harry if they survived this.

With no tools or weapons of any kind, all they could do was keep close to each other and continue backing up towards the center of the claw-like structure, hoping there was some sort of magical forcefield around the thing that dispelled creatures. It was a long shot, but it was all they had. There was no way they’d be able to outrun animals with four legs. Besides, with a land as big as this, these snarling creatures might well be the least of their worries.

The leader of the beasts was close enough now that it started circling Harry and Hermione, the hunger evident in its eyes. It appeared to be a cross between a feral wolf and a hyena, if she had to place it. It made a show of sniffing near her leg and she screamed, clutching Harry so tight she was surprised he didn’t yelp from the pain. As the creature opened its mouth and prepared to lunge, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and awaited her fate.

Yet where she expected the searing pain of razor-sharp teeth, all she heard was a whimper and the distinct thud of something hitting the ground. Peeking one eye open, she saw the animal was lying on its side, dead. Harry seemed just as surprised as she was, but the other animals in the pack were still swarming in, flanking them on both sides. Just as before, one by one they all seemed to keel over and die, right before their eyes. Perhaps there _was_ some sort of magical protection around this transportation device?

The sound of horse hooves to their right startled Hermione and she turned to see a woman with short, plum-colored hair sitting astride – she blinked – an enormous winged, black horse. It was easily the size of a Clydesdale, and when it snorted and pawed at the ground, the purple flames around its hooves and muzzle flared brighter.

“Lle anta amin tu?” [1] the woman asked, concern in her voice. Hermione was unsure of where to even look and couldn’t make sense of the words anyway, so she chanced a glance at Harry and saw he was rooted to the spot in much the same way she was.

“Lle naa ilaya varna sinome!” [2] the woman tried again, this time with more urgency. Hermione could only stare back and shrug helplessly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understa—” she started, then stopped when a man appeared from behind one of the large, claw-like structures. He was tall and trim, but that was the second thing she noticed. The first was the enormous pair of black wings – angular and bat-like, with pointed spines at the tips – sprouting from his back. Or maybe it was his purple-gray skin, or the violet eyes that seemed to pierce her to her very core, or the long, pointed ears peeking out of the black hair that skimmed his shoulders. He looked dangerous. And dangerously sexy.

Hermione rolled her eyes at herself. She had thought herself immune to the stereotype of the bad boy, but proof to the contrary was standing right in front of her. He addressed the woman in what sounded like the same language she had used, and the pair of them looked at Harry and Hermione with confusion. Then the man’s eyes widened and he pointed to something behind Hermione’s shoulder.

“Tira ten' rashwe!” [3] he shouted, but his warning was too late.

The creature had timed its attack well, when everyone had had their guard down. It managed to get close enough to swipe at Hermione, making a deep gash in her shin, before the woman on the horse dispatched the animal with a bolt of lightning.

“Hermione!” Harry cried, grabbing her and trying to assess the damage.

Hermione crumpled to the ground in pain, clutching her leg. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, hot with shame and anger. What were they even _doing_ here? And where _was_ here? If Harry hadn’t touched that stupid baton, they’d still be back at Hogwarts with their friends, working on castle reparations, and later, dining together in Hogsmeade. Instead, they were in the middle of an unknown land, under attack by animals, and now she was bleeding profusely, with two people who didn’t appear to speak English.

The woman hopped off her horse and hurried over, crouching down next to Hermione. She began moving both of her hands in a tight, circular motion. Light glowed around her fingertips before she hovered them over the wound. Nothing happened. Clearly frustrated, the woman tried a new gesture, this time moving her hands back and forth, parallel to each other, as though brushing crumbs off her fingers. A different kind of light glowed between her fingers and she directed it towards Hermione’s leg, but it simply dissipated again.

The growling noises were closing in on them again and suddenly the woman pointed at the man and yelled, “Ndengina sen!” [4] It must have been a signal to take the beasts down because the man turned and began swinging his arms in large circles as though he was attempting to coax something upwards, bracelets of red light glowing around his wrists. The ground around him grew dark and wispy, shrouding him in a black cloud that spiraled up his body. When it dispersed, several skeletons – their bones dirty and covered in dark red patches – climbed out of the earth and marched towards their targets, effortlessly cutting each animal down. Meanwhile, the man had returned to Hermione’s side, ripped a piece of fabric off his sleeve, and tied it around her shin just above the wound.

“You’re a… You just…” Hermione stopped and took a breath, already light-headed from either the shock or the blood loss. Or maybe it was the proximity of this man before her. She was simultaneously disgusted with what she’d just seen the man do, but also a bit breathless by how he was making her feel. “Was that… Are you a _necromancer_?”

He looked up and gave her a wry look, his eyes glittering with not-quite malice.

“Common!” the woman said, apparently relieved. “We must speak to them in Common!”

The man sneered, as though the mere suggestion of that was distasteful. Sure enough, when he spoke again, it was in the language he’d used previously. “Naa ron en' Norrath? N’uma atost, roch, megil ri' wandil,” [5] he said, and the woman snapped her head up.

“Kusadi, Common! We must seek to understand this!”

“Wait, you speak _English_?” Harry asked, seeming to snap out of it finally, relief and excitement in his voice. Hermione noticed the man scowled again.

“English?” the woman repeated, seeming to sound the word out. “I am not familiar with this English, but if you are able to understand me, it must be similar to our Common. We shall see how we do. I am Noriyah, but call me Nori. This is Kusadi.” She jerked her head in the man’s direction. “And you?”

“Oh. I’m Hermione, and this is Harry,” she said, and Nori gave them quick nod of acknowledgement. Up close, Hermione could see that Nori had warm gray eyes, a large faded scar under her left eye, and something that resembled Steampunk goggles perched on top of her head. Her ears were pointed, too, but much smaller than Kusadi’s, and her skin tone was similar to Hermione’s own. Nori made quick work of fixing the fabric Kusadi had tied, her long, delicate fingers moving in a practiced fashion. It appeared she’d tried to heal the gash with magic first, but barring that, a more manual solution was in order. Hermione wondered if she was a Healer of some kind.

“I am not sure why you are here, but this place is not safe for you,” Nori said, then looked closer at them. “I confess, I do not understand this, but I know someone who might.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, “but understand what? Where _are_ we?”

The look of alarm on Nori’s face was telling. “The Commonlands.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. “Where is that? Are we inside of my book?”

“Your book?”

“Are we still on Earth?” Harry tried again, and Hermione felt that thrum of anxiety return to her stomach, instinctively knowing the answer but afraid to hear it.

“I am not sure what Earth is,” Nori said, “but if you mean place in a larger sense, then you are on Norrath. That is our planet. This continent is D’Lere.”

Whatever Harry had been about to say was interrupted by the sound of growls approaching them again. Nori immediately stood and made a few wide, sweeping gestures with one arm, crossing it in front of her body and then out to her side again, before thrusting it up in the air, fist closed. From the end of her hand burst forth what looked like a large ball of lightning, contained within some sort of electrostatic field. It glowed blue, dozens of tiny charges sizzling around its circumference. With a shoving motion, Nori sent the ball zooming off towards the source of the growls. Soon after, Hermione could hear yelping and whimpering, and the sounds of running hounds.

“We must leave, for they will be back soon,” Nori said to them. She tilted her head towards her enormous, black pegasus, then turned to Harry. “This is Sírdal. Are you able to climb onto his back?”

“Er, yeah. Sure.”

As Harry worked to fit his foot into a stirrup, Kusadi leaned closer to Hermione, his hand moving to settle at the junction of her shoulder and neck. The warmth of it was both distracting and soothing, but it was really his gaze that caught her attention. He was eyeing her like an exotic fruit, like she was something to be tempted by, or perhaps touched to be believed. She squirmed a bit under his hand, a tingle racing down her spine, and wondered about the strange reaction she felt towards him; why she was so uncertain of him, yet excited at the same time.

“Re lotesse caela templa aminaya magha,” [6] Kusadi said to Nori. Nori cast a dark look at him and the pair of them seemed to communicate something silently between them.

“Now is not the time,” Nori said, then motioned impatiently to Kusadi, who stood. Together, they helped Hermione up before lifting her into Sírdal’s saddle, directly in front of Harry. Hermione knew they were trying to be as gentle as possible under the circumstances, but she had to keep biting the inside of her cheek to stop from crying out in pain as they jostled her around.

“Go,” Nori said to Kusadi. “Find Verseus and meet us at the guild. I will transport them there for now.” She hopped up – rather effortlessly, Hermione thought – to sit astride the horse in front of them. “Let us hope it is only _my_ spells that are not working.”

With a startling whoosh of wings, the horse jumped into flight, and Hermione watched with a white-knuckled hold as the towering, claw-like transportation device began to shrink out of sight.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> [1] Do you need help?  
> [2] You are not safe here!  
> [3] Look out!  
> [4] Kill them!  
> [5] Are they of Norrath? No armor, horse, sword or staff.  
> [6] She may have magic I could use.
> 
> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):  
> Noriyah = nor EYE yuh  
> Nori = NOR ee  
> Kusadi = koo SAH dee  
> Sírdal = SEAR doll  
> Verseus = VURR see us


	4. Chapter 4

**DAY 1** **–** **Late Afternoon**

Quickly ushering them inside the guild hall, Nori closed the door and immediately turned to them. “I apologize for rushing us from the Commonlands, but those beasts would have continued to hunt you.”

“No, no, we appreciate the help!” Hermione said, a bit breathlessly. “Thank you so much for rescuing us!”

“You are most welcome,” Nori said. “I am glad we found you when we did.” She gave them a soft smile, then walked over to a long counter towards the back of the room, pulled out a sheaf of parchment, and began scribbling a note.

“Us, too,” Hermione said quietly, and Harry had to suppress a shudder. He preferred not to think about how else that could have ended – for he was convinced it _would_ have ended – if Nori hadn’t shown up when she did.

One of the entrance doors to the guild hall swung open, the creak of heavy wood echoing into the large room. Harry turned to look. A figure entered, but was little more than a black silhouette against the late afternoon sun until the door closed. Once Harry’s eyes readjusted, he got his first glimpse of – he gasped – was that a _high elf_? Specifically, a high elf that looked like he’d just walked out of the pages of a fantasy novel and into the room. Or out of Harry’s fantasies and into the room. Ever since Hermione had hooked him on reading, he’d found himself immediately drawn to high elves. There was something so exotic and regal – almost pretty – about them.

This one could have been Cho Chang’s brother. Well, except for the striking blue eyes, the pointed ears, and the short, tousled, white-blonde hair. He looked young-ish, probably only a few years older than Harry, if he had to guess. Then again, didn’t elves age differently? For all Harry knew, this elf was 400 years old and still looked that good. He wore slim-fitted metal armor, pieces that were obviously tailored to his body (not like the clunky suits of armor on display at Hogwarts), with a shield on his back and a sword in his hilt. The only skin exposed, aside from his face, was his arms: his very toned and well-defined arms. Harry wanted to look away but couldn’t.

The elf stopped when he caught sight of Harry, those eyes quickly sizing up Harry’s form. Harry tried to remember how to breathe. He didn’t think he’d ever felt such an instant draw to someone before. Was it because this was a high elf? Or because this high elf was a he? Or… both? Harry swallowed. He couldn’t believe this was real. Then again, Nori and the necromancer were each some race of elf, too. Was this whole place made up of elves?

The high elf spared one more glance for Harry, then rushed over to Nori, the pair of them immediately in conversation. It was too quiet for Harry to hear from where he stood. Not that he would have understood it anyway; he assumed the pair would speak to each other in some Elvish language.

Harry wasn’t even sure what kind of magic this elf did – he looked like a warrior or a soldier, someone who specialized in physical combat. But weren’t high elves usually archers because of their grace? Or because of their unfailing aim and more delicate constitution? Harry almost laughed at himself. Elves were often portrayed that way in books, but if his brief experience so far on this planet was any indication, he was in for an epic re-education. This elf certainly looked capable of more than archery, especially with all that armor and those weapons. And that body. Not that Harry was noticing.

“Harry?”

Harry jumped upon hearing his name and looked at Nori, who’d spoken. She waved him over. Feeling his pulse kick into high gear – what was he suddenly so nervous about? – Harry walked over, trying to look nonchalant, but wasn’t sure if he was succeeding. It wasn’t helping that the elf was tracking his progress every step of the way. Their eyes kept meeting before Harry’s would dart away again. Why were high elves so intense? And so intensely mesmerizing? Harry was distracted enough that he didn’t even register the fact Hermione had also joined them.

Nori addressed them both. “This is my guild mate, Verseus Ilönen. Verseus, this is Hermione and Harry. They are visitors to Norrath.”

Ah, so _this_ was who Nori had asked the necromancer to summon. So far, Harry approved.

Verseus gave a small bow of his head, then reached out to shake Hermione’s hand before turning to Harry. It was only then that Harry realized how tall Verseus was: easily over six feet. He didn’t tower over Harry, but the six or so inch difference made for a surprisingly alluring dynamic. Verseus’ gaze was warm and curious as he held out his hand. Harry tried to focus. _Now is not the time to be a tit and just stand here gaping!_ He managed a handshake in return but flushed slightly, trying to ignore the way that strong, elegant hand felt in his.

“I wish to have him try to heal you,” Nori said to Hermione. “He has some abilities that I do not.”

Harry looked over at Hermione, partly to make sure she was okay with the request, and partly to see if she was having the same reaction to Verseus as he was. The answers seemed to be: totally fine with it and… no. Once again, this was solely a Potter affliction. Wonderful.

Verseus helped Hermione hobble over to a padded bench underneath the L-shaped, open staircase, then knelt down in front of her. Harry moved closer so he could watch alongside Nori. Verseus started by removing the temporary wrap Kusadi and Nori had applied, the fabric now thoroughly soaked through with blood. Hermione winced while he unwrapped it, despite his obvious gentleness. The gash was still weeping a bit, the edges red and inflamed, and there was dried blood everywhere. Harry hoped it looked worse than it was.

Verseus sat back on his heels and closed his eyes, his hands pressed together in front of him, fingers pointed towards Hermione. He remained like that for a moment before he started rubbing his hands together in a tight circle, as though he was washing them. A bright violet light erupted like an aura around his hands, and he switched to a hand motion that looked like he was drying them off with a towel. When he opened his eyes, he leaned forward and cupped Hermione’s calf, one hand around the back and one over the gash, the violet light making her whole leg glow for a moment.

Within seconds, the light faded completely, seeming to drain right off Hermione’s body, and Verseus sat back with a frown. Harry wasn’t sure what the light was supposed to do, but he guessed that wasn’t it. Verseus turned to look at Nori.

“Sina vithel marte yassen lle tenkela?” [1] he asked, and she nodded gravely. He turned back to Hermione’s leg and seemed to consider something.

“Use Common, Verseus. They deserve to know what is happening,” Nori said.

Verseus hummed, clearly distracted, then seemed to realize what Nori had requested and shook himself out of the moment. “I apologize. Habit. One moment,” he added, then stood up and hurried off through an adjoining doorway. When he returned a few minutes later, he was holding a steaming goblet in one hand and handful of leaves in the other. “Elvish medicine,” he said, in response to the inquiring looks they were giving him.

He knelt down in front of Hermione again and set everything on the floor. He began ripping the leaves into small pieces and dropping them into the goblet, then stirring the concoction with his finger. He repeated this process a few times until the steam had completely dissipated and the mixture met with his approval.

 _Potions_ , Harry thought to himself, sure that Snape would have been proud of this approach. The smile was almost to his face when that sinking feeling returned. _Home._ How long had they been gone now in Earth time? Was the portal still even open? Were their friends at Hogwarts looking for them? Harry hated that he was making others worry on his behalf and wished there was a way to get a message to them, but he also guessed that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. So far, they couldn’t even heal Hermione’s injury – something that, by this planet’s standards, should have taken mere seconds. All things considered, they were not off to an encouraging start.

Harry pushed aside thoughts of home for now and returned his attention to Hermione. Verseus had been busy applying the paste he’d created to the wound while Hermione grimaced and tried not to watch. Verseus packed in as much as he could, trying to cover the entire surface of the gash as well as its edges. Then, while holding all of that in place with one hand, he pulled out a rolled up fabric from somewhere and began wrapping that around Hermione’s leg, making sure to cover everything, and then tied it off once he’d finished.

“That is all I can do for now. Stay off your leg and rest. I shall check it tomorrow.”

Hermione nodded in earnest, smoothing her hands lightly over the new bandage. It appeared everything was in order, for she seemed to relax by degrees. “Thank you so much for your help.”

Verseus bowed his head, then began gathering up the items he’d placed on the floor. When he stood, he turned sharply and found himself face-to-face with Harry. They both froze, staring at each other, caught in an extended moment. The electricity Harry felt at being this close to Verseus was heady. He knew part of it was fascination, but the other part was attraction. _Definitely_ attraction. Yet he couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about a man before.

Verseus was the first to move – it seemed like minutes had transpired, but it was probably only seconds – making a light touch to Harry’s arm as a way to maneuver past him and out of the room. Harry turned to watch Verseus go, but quickly realized he wasn’t the only one: Nori was watching, too. Except she was looking at Verseus, then at Harry, then back at Verseus. With a smirk, she shook her head. As she walked off in the opposite direction, Harry heard her mutter, “Never say that Verseus does not have a type.”

Surprised, Harry moved to catch up with her, his voice lowered. “Sorry, what do you mean?”

“His last boyfriend was a wizard, about your height, with short, dark hair.” She gave him the once-over. “There are many similarities, actually, except for Firus being a wood elf.”

Harry felt a little crestfallen. “Oh. So he only dates other elves?”

Nori appeared to consider that for a moment. “I am not sure. But no matter what he may have thought before, it has changed now that you have come along.”

Harry blushed. “He likes me?”

Nori gave him the same look Hermione usually did, the one where she thought he was being an idiot on purpose. (It was a bit scary how universal that look was for women.) “I must go now to prepare my home for guests. Be comfortable here and I will be back soon.” She started to turn away and then stopped. Leaning in very close to Harry’s ear, she said, “He will not be subtle about his interest, but he will also respect your choice if you do not share it.”

There was something thrilling about that kind of boldness, a way of being that was both novel and familiar to Harry. He had always been fairly decisive in his own life. Perhaps he should have stopped more often to consider the situation before just barging in head-long, but there had always been a certain call to spontaneity that he couldn’t deny. It made him feel alive. And now that the situation was about someone he was curious about _and_ attracted to, his body began thrumming with excitement.

Correctly interpreting Harry’s reaction, Nori gave him a wry smile. “Enjoy yourselves, then.”

Before she could turn, Harry stopped her once more. He needed to be sure this wasn’t all in his head. “So we aren’t inside of a book right now? Norrath is a real place?”

Nori tipped her head. “This book theory again.” She seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled. “I suppose I cannot say for sure, for if I am inside of a book, how would I know? All I can tell you is that this is real for me. But if it is a book,” she added, matching Harry’s smile, “it is a most fantastic tale.”

The main doors to the guild hall opened and Kusadi sauntered – for anyone who moved with that level of bravado could only be described as sauntering – over to where Harry and Nori were standing.

“I am leaving now but will be back soon,” Nori said, this time to Kusadi, then walked over to a stack of glowing rings on the floor. They were lit from below, with tendrils of light and dancing baubles twirling sinuously together towards the ceiling until they dissolved into nothing. It strongly reminded Harry of the transportation device they had just come from, and he assumed this was one, too. Nori interacted with the rings using some sort of hand gesture and then immediately disappeared. Harry blinked, wondering if all the strange things on Norrath would ever seem normal to him.

Feeling someone’s gaze on him, Harry turned to see Kusadi watching him. Kusadi gave him a faint sneer, and then turned to go check on Hermione, who was still resting on the bench, her leg now propped up on a cushioned stool. Harry blinked again, but this time it was to wonder what he had done to earn the ire of the guild’s resident necromancer. Maybe existing was enough? Perhaps Kusadi really did prefer the dead to the living. Except for Hermione – he seemed oddly keen on her. Harry watched them for a moment, wondering if he was going to have to keep an eye on that.

The main doors to the guild hall opened again, this time to admit two people – Harry wasn’t sure if he could even call them people? – with large, colorful wings on their backs and bright, bulbous eyes. Upon closer inspection, he noticed neither one was walking. Their feet weren’t even on the ground. They were floating! They looked like overgrown fairies or pixies, but Harry was certainly no expert. They were having an animated discussion of some kind and seemed oblivious to Harry’s presence, so he stepped aside to let them pass, watching their wings flutter rapidly as they floated past and out of the room.

If this was a real place, Harry spared a thought for whether or not the species on Norrath were responsible for influencing the stories and lore on Earth, yet couldn’t account for how that might be possible. Though, there was clearly something connecting the two planets, so maybe Norrathians _had_ visited Earth?

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and out of place, Harry turned to the open staircase behind him, climbed halfway up and sat on the landing. Hermione and Kusadi were directly below him, on the bench underneath the stairs, but he couldn’t decipher their quiet conversation.

Sighing, Harry dropped his head into his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. What had they gotten themselves into this time? What had _he_ gotten them into? Would he ever learn to stop fiddling with things he had no business touching? Not that he could have known what that baton would do, but still, he should have dropped it the moment it showed signs of having magical properties. One of these days, his ‘Boy Who Lived’ luck was going to run out, and that would be it – a rather ignoble end, if you asked him.

#

After a few minutes of staring at his shoes, Harry looked up again, checking to see if Verseus had come back into the room yet. (Nope.) A quick glance revealed it was still just himself, Hermione and Kusadi. He didn’t feel comfortable poking around the guild hall looking for Verseus – not that he would know what to say if he found him, anyway. He wished Nori was still there.

Idly tracing a pattern in the rug he was sitting on, he fingered at a loose thread near its edge. He thought about tucking it back in, but it seemed too far gone for that, so he tried to yank it out instead. And immediately realized his mistake. Darkness overtook him and the guild hall disappeared. A force outside of him pulled on his body, much like Apparition, and he tried to stem the flow of panic.

When the scene rematerialized before him, Harry was sitting on a sunken floor in the middle of a large, eight-sided room, its towering ceiling two or three stories above him. _Fucking hell_ , he groaned, realizing he must have unwittingly activated some transport mechanism within the rug. Why anyone would decorate with the equivalent of a Portkey was beyond him. He looked around slowly and tried to make sense of his surroundings.

The ground was tiled, decorative red squares evenly spaced between larger sand-colored ones. Each wall featured pointed dome insets, a big one on the bottom and three smaller ones on top, the artwork inside each a bright, intricate pattern of blues, reds and golds. If he’d been on Earth, he would have said it was Arabic or Middle Eastern in design.

Movement caught his eye and he turned his head to see a woman standing near one of the tall, angular bookcases dotting the room, piles of books surrounding her on every surface, including the floor. She wore a floor-length, gray robe with a hood on the back, and seemed engrossed in the parchments she was holding. Harry froze, not sure if she was hostile or not. He couldn’t really take the chance since there was nothing he could do to protect himself.

He tried to think with his pulse pounding in his ears. If he attempted to make a run for it, would she be able to catch him? Or could he move slow enough to avoid drawing her notice? If so, where would he go? He had no idea what other things lurked in this place. Would anyone back in the guild think to check the rug to determine where he’d gone? Had any of them even known where he’d been sitting? If so, how long would it take for them to notice he was missing?

Deciding he would try and put a little space between himself and the woman nearby, he began to crab-walk backwards as slowly and quietly as possible, careful to make only small movements with his limbs. He had only moved a short distance when a small, focused gust of air rustled the hair at the back of his neck, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He whipped his head around. There, looming above him, stood Kusadi, in all his sneering glory.

“Oh, thank God!” Harry said, forgetting himself and his surroundings.

At the sound of Harry’s voice, the woman looked up sharply, narrowed her eyes at the pair of them, and then started berating them at full volume in a language Harry didn’t know – well, not that he knew Elvish, either, but the consonants of this one were harsh, the words comprised of a lot of clacking and gnashing sounds. It didn’t have the beautiful rhythmic quality that Elvish did.

Kusadi scowled, hauled Harry to his feet, and pulled the long sorcerer’s staff off his back. With both hands, he spun the staff in a precise orbital pattern, then jabbed it in the direction of the woman. Some kind of sickly yellow spell light shot forth from the end of it, hitting her square in the chest. With an anguished cry, she slumped to the ground and moved no more.

Harry gaped, his eyes wide. When he turned his owlish expression on Kusadi, the man merely shrugged. “She annoys me.”

“Yeah, but did you have to kill her?”

Kusadi returned the staff to his back. “She will regenerate. Pray you are not here when she does.”

Harry could only nod his head, either agreeing or disbelieving, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps a combination of both. _Regenerate? You could bring people back from the dead on Norrath?_ Questions crowded his mind, but he knew now was not the time. Nor the right person.

Kusadi began moving his arms in a fluid, figure-eight pattern, almost like he was tapping on invisible drums, one hand, then the other. As he did, a turquoise light erupted around him, clinging to his body like a sparkling aura. Three short columns appeared around him like points of a triangle, but they were wispy and insubstantial, as though they were merely anchoring the spell light. After several sequences of arm movements, Kusadi tossed his arms wide, palms up, then grabbed ahold of Harry. The tug of transport overcame him at the same time the blackness hit.

#

Hermione looked up as Nori reappeared in the guild hall, back from wherever she’d gone. She smiled as she approached, and was about halfway across the main room before she stopped and looked around.

“Where is Harry?”

“He’s sitting on the stairs,” Hermione said, then paused, watching the expression shift on Nori’s face. “Isn’t he?”

Verseus must have overheard some part of that as he came back into the room, for he walked over to Nori, looking back and forth between the two women. “What has happened?”

Nori rushed closer to Hermione. “Where exactly did you last see him?”

Pointing to the landing above her, Hermione said, “Up there. He was just there a minute ago!”

Verseus turned and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time, going all the way to the second floor. He came back down soon after, shaking his head, the concern evident on his face.

“Trade stations or downstairs?” Nori said to him, the same urgency to her voice. He took off in the direction she’d indicated.

Kusadi sighed and left his seat next to Hermione, then calmly ascended the stairs to have a look for himself. Peering through the gaps between the stairs, Hermione watched him consider the portrait that hung on the wall above the landing. He touched his fingers to the frame, pursing his lips, but otherwise said nothing. Then he looked down, inspecting whatever was on the landing itself.

“Perhaps the rug?” he said to Nori. She ran up the stairs to join him and they considered it together.

“Where does this go again?” she asked.

“The Shimmering Citadel,” Kusadi said.

Nori groaned, muttering words under her breath that sounded even more panicked than before. “Please, go check for him while we continue to search here!” She ran back down the stairs without waiting for confirmation.

Hermione could almost feel Kusadi’s eye roll from where she sat, and was about to take issue with that until he reached down towards the landing, apparently touching something, and then promptly disappeared.

Verseus rushed back into the room, shaking his head again to indicate he’d had no luck. “Did you find him?” he asked Nori.

“Not yet. We think he might be in the Djinn palace.” She pointed up towards the rug on the landing, and then had to forcibly stop Verseus from rushing up the stairs after it. “Kusadi has already gone.”

“Why him?”

“Because you were searching elsewhere. Stay here!” she chided, grabbing his arm once again to prevent him from leaving. Verseus shook her off.

“Fine,” Verseus said, his jaw clenching. “But he had better bring Harry back in one piece, or…”

“Or what?” Nori said with a huff of almost-amusement. “You are no match for Kusadi and you know it. All we can do is wait and see.”

“I do not _wait_ very well.” Verseus crossed his arms over his chest.

“I know,” Nori said, her tone more soothing as she rubbed a hand along Verseus’ forearm.

A slight displacement of air tickled Hermione’s arms and she turned.

“Harry!” she cried. The others whipped their heads around and then ran over. Kusadi and Harry stood near the main doors to the guild hall, Harry looking rather wan and shell-shocked, Kusadi holding him by his upper arm like he was an errant student caught out after curfew. The slight curl to Kusadi’s lip indicated how pleased he was with his task.

When he released his hold – a bit brusquely, Hermione thought – Harry stumbled over to the bench where Hermione was and flopped down next to her. When he sat back, she could see he was still breathing heavily, his eyes wide with panic.

“I am never moving from this seat again,” he said.

#

Verseus shot a glare at Kusadi, then addressed Nori. “Harry will be safe at my home.”

“Maybe so,” Nori said, “but they are staying at mine tonight.” Before he could argue, Nori reminded him their guests were not from Norrath and they needed to figure out how to send them home.

“We can start that tomorrow. You said we need Nilul, and she will not be back until at least then.”

Nori sighed, then grabbed Verseus’ arm and pulled him several paces away so she could talk to him without the others overhearing. “If Harry agrees, then fine. But go easy on him. He has been through an ordeal traveling here, and does not even know where ‘here’ is yet. Do not seduce him too fervently.”

“I was not planning to seduce him, I merely wanted to get to know him.”

Nori’s expression hardened, and she poked a finger into Verseus’ breastplate as she said, “He will be _your_ responsibility. Remember that.”

Verseus was a little taken aback at Nori’s intensity, realizing then how serious she was taking the situation. She had claimed these guests as her own, promising to help them return home, and as long as it was within her power to do so, she would not let anything happen to them. _Anything._ Apparently, that also included a frivolous tryst, especially if it could jeopardize Harry’s emotional state. While Verseus understood her concern, he also could not help bristling a bit.

“You think so little of me?”

“Not of you, of the situation. We have only known them for a short time. We do not know what they are thinking or feeling. It is likely they do not know, either. They might be confused, lonely, sad, scared. It would be easy to take advantage of that, even with good intentions. They might make choices they would not otherwise make.”

“That is true. But I do not intend to deny him of any curiosity he might have.”

“That is not what I—” Nori stopped, pinching the bridge of her nose, then let out a long sigh. “Never mind. I am sorry, Verseus. You know I trust you. I am merely feeling stressed. They are so vulnerable here and we do not have any answers!”

Verseus reached out and placed his hands on Nori’s shoulders. “We will find some. As you say, it has only been a short time, and they are under our protection now.”

“But you saw how quickly that can change! Harry ended up alone in the Djinn palace merely by being in our guild hall. What if he had activated the banner for Skyshrine or the portrait for Eastern Wastes?”

She was sounding a bit hysterical so Verseus squeezed her shoulders, hoping to redirect her mind. It seemed to have worked when she stopped and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, her hands balling into fists and opening again in quick succession.

“Nori,” he said softly, waiting until she opened her eyes and looked at him. “I will take care of him. You have my word.” He squeezed Nori’s shoulders once more before letting his arms drop.

Nori stared at him for a long moment, then took a deep breath and nodded. “I know you will. Thank you.” She placed her hand against his cheek, a gesture that was both motherly and affectionate. She gave him a couple light pats, followed by one with a bit more sting.

Verseus startled at the last, then smirked.

#

Nori and Verseus returned to their guests, and Verseus stepped over to Harry. He bent slightly in a bow. “I would be honored to host you at my home. You will be safe there.”

Surprised, Harry glanced around at the others for their reactions. Hermione’s face was uncertain, but Nori nodded slightly, indicating her approval. Kusadi merely continued to sneer, as ever. The idea of staying with Verseus certainly held more appeal than remaining in the guild hall or staying with Hermione at Nori’s house. Harry had also heard what Verseus didn’t say; rather, he could read it in Verseus’ eyes: _please say yes, I would like to get to know you better_. Since Harry was equally as interested – and, frankly, dreaded the notion of endless talking with the girls – it was an easy decision. He nodded his assent and Verseus’ face split into a smile.

“We shall be back in the morning,” Verseus announced, then took Harry’s hand and led him over to a giant globe in the corner of the room that was slowly spinning on a nautically-themed, wooden stand. Privately, Verseus said, “For this to work, you will need to lock your wrists around me and hold on as tight as possible.”

Harry gulped, his heart racing. He stepped in close and wrapped his arms awkwardly around Verseus’ waist, then grabbed his own wrists in back to secure the position. He could feel the cool metal of Verseus’ breastplate against his cheek and the slim waist in the circle of his arms, while the heady scent of something masculine and outdoorsy tickled at his nose. Harry hoped to any deity listening that his body would remain in check. On top of everything else today, he did not need to embarrass himself with an untimely erection, too.

Verseus reached out and touched the globe, then made some gestures in mid-air. There must have been something he was reading or working with in front of him, but it was invisible to Harry. The next thing he knew, the guild hall snapped out of existence and they floated in darkness. Harry wasn’t sure if anything was actually happening – he’d expected a pull on his body, like earlier, or even the sensation of falling, like the portal they’d arrived in. But it was just darkness.

Within moments, a new scene appeared. Harry was surprised to discover they were standing on a wooden dock, looking up at snow-covered mountains. Icy waters surrounded them as far as the eye could see, the sun blinding him as it reflected off the white, wintery landscape.

“Welcome to New Halas,” Verseus said, smiling.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> [1] This also happened with your spells?
> 
> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):  
> Verseus = VURR see us  
> Illönen = ill LOW nin  
> New Halas = new HALL us


	5. Chapter 5

**DAY 1 – Evening**

Verseus’ horse, it turned out, was similar to Nori’s, if only in size. Harry gaped up at it. It had appeared alongside them after they’d arrived on the dock – from where, Harry had no clue. He supposed he’d just have to get used to things disappearing and reappearing at will here. Even with the little he’d already seen, he could tell magic was very different on Norrath.

This winged horse was white, the flame effect surrounding its hooves and muzzle a bright gold. In addition to the saddle, it wore metal armor on its head, neck, breast and hindquarters. The pieces were ornately-carved bronze with hammered silver accents. Harry didn’t know anything about horses, but thought this one looked very majestic.

“This is Radjur,” Verseus said, patting the horse’s flank with one hand while gathering up the reigns in his other. In response, the horse made a low, rumbling noise and turned its head to nuzzle at Verseus’s face. Verseus just chuckled fondly, then extended a hand for Harry.

Since Harry’d had the recent practice with Nori’s horse, he was able to climb up and swing his leg over in one fluid motion, and with minimal assistance. Seeing the subtle but keen shift in Verseus’ gaze, Harry was even more relieved he hadn’t made an arse of himself. Verseus, of course, made it look easy, and Harry was surprised at how nimble he was while wearing all of that armor. Like Nori, he seemed to slide effortlessly into the saddle.

The only issue – if it could even be called an issue – was that this saddle was clearly designed for a single rider. With both of them on it, Harry couldn’t stop himself from sliding forward and pressing up against Verseus, no matter where he tried to situate his body. It was both thrilling and awkward. Harry bit his lip, trying to stifle his reaction to the fact that he was rather intimately pressed up against the back of a high elf.

Soon after they took flight from the docks, they entered a tunnel, and Harry quickly discovered they were under, or at least inside of, a mountain. The interior had been carved out for a small residential village, and the ceiling, instead of just being all bluish-gray rock, had rivers of glowing turquoise running through it. It cast a bluish light everywhere and mixed with the golden torches and braziers placed at the entrances to homes and halls. A central plaza boasted a handful of merchants selling wares and services from their counters, while the outer rim was dotted with all manner of craftsman stations. Verseus explained that artisans could use these public stations to craft items for themselves or others, or to learn their trade.

“Do you have a trade?” Harry asked. He found he didn’t have to speak loudly since he was practically resting his chin on Verseus’ shoulder already, his hands politely holding Verseus’ sides.

“Yes,” Verseus said. “I am a Master Provisioner.”

Harry wasn’t sure if he was supposed to know what that was by name, but it didn’t appear like Verseus was going to elaborate, so Harry tried to figure it out himself. What would one provision? Supplies? Weapons? Did he make things and then hand them out? Sell them? Wait, no. Provisions were food! He remembered he’d heard that term from military shows on the telly. Then again, this wasn’t Earth, so it might not mean the same thing here. “Does that mean you’re a cook?”

“Ah. Yes,” Verseus said. “I apologize. I am not used to discussing trades with someone who is not from Norrath. You are the first visitor I have met.”

That gave Harry pause. If visitors were not a common occurrence, or at least not something Verseus was accustomed to, did that mean Harry _had_ somehow transported himself and Hermione into a book? None of what he’d seen so far bore any resemblance to the characters and worlds he’d read about (aside from elves in general), but he was also new to the genre. He’d only started up after the war (Hermione’s suggestion, of course) as a way to help himself process – or escape – from all that had happened. And it seemed to be working, even if the main thing he’d discovered so far was that he had a ‘type’…

He considered the high elf currently in his grasp. “Is this a real place, or am I inside of a book right now?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“Because I have no idea how I got here. To Norrath, I mean. This morning I was on my planet and Hermione and I were fixing some walls at our school. Then we found a device and I was fiddling with it and showed Hermione, and the next thing I know, we’re standing in the Commonlands. I’ve been inside a magicked book before, so I wondered if I’d somehow done the same thing again.”

Verseus stopped his horse and turned slightly in the saddle. “You think I am a character in a book?”

“Would you know it if you were? I mean, can you prove that you’re not?”

Verseus smiled. “No, I could not. But _you_ could. Magicked books have limitations. They are bound by magical law, same as any object or device. That means they are not inherently able to change.”

“I’m not following.”

“If my reality was a book,” Verseus explained, “I would live my story over and over for an infinite amount of time. Each time it ended, it would start again, but I would not be aware of that. Since you are not from Norrath, or from my book” – Verseus grinned – “then you would merely observe the story over and over. You would not have the same reset, so the repetition would be your clue. However, neither the characters who live in the book, nor the observer watching the story, can affect what happens. Inherently unchangeable.”

Harry just blinked, listening.

“There are other limitations as well,” Verseus went on. “Did you interact with others while inside of that other book?”

Harry thought back to when he’d met the teenage version of Tom Riddle. “Yes – one.”

“Did you physically touch each other?”

Harry considered his interactions with Tom. They hadn’t touched, had they? Harry had been in that chamber with the basilisk – that had definitely been real – but Tom had only existed through the diary. He was like a hologram, a piece of Voldemort’s soul kept alive by the Horcrux, ready to play out its program if disturbed. The only thing Harry had actually been able to do inside the diary was bear witness to Tom’s memories, so he supposed it wasn’t really a magicked book after all.

“No, we didn’t touch. I don’t think we could have.”

So if that hadn’t been a magicked book, it stood to reason he wasn’t inside of one now, which meant that Norrath – and Verseus – were real. Harry squeezed his fingers a little tighter against the armor around Verseus’ sides. He certainly _felt_ real.

Harry grinned, giddy at the revelation. Sure, it would probably be easier to escape from a book than to try to figure out that mysterious portal, but he also didn’t think he could bear it if his first meeting with a high elf was pure fiction. Especially _this_ high elf, one who he was very eager to learn more about.

Verseus grinned at him, likely seeing most of that writ upon his face. “Not a book, then?”

Harry’s grin widened. “I don’t think so. But if I see your story start to repeat, I’ll definitely let you know,” he offered, and Verseus laughed.

The horse lurched forward once again, the clomping sound of Radjur’s hooves echoing louder as they made their way further under the mountain. The ground everywhere was covered in snow, except where the path had been worn down to stone, but the effect was still oddly warm and welcoming. Harry had never really been fond of winter, but he was quickly starting to see the appeal of New Halas.

Verseus directed their ride to what looked like the front of a rustic cabin protruding from the rock. The simple, A-frame roof was supported by four wooden beams that enclosed a small porch, the center of which held two large doors with arched tops. Both doors were accented with banded wood borders and carved with emblems of a horse, the two heads facing each other. Harry glanced around and noticed there were several other structures like this nearby, each built directly into the rock, some a little smaller, some quite a bit larger. It seemed like a residential area, odd though it would be by Earth’s standards.

Verseus dismounted, then turned to offer Harry a hand down as well.

“Is this your home?” Harry asked.

Verseus smiled. “It is.”

Harry wasn’t sure what to expect given all he could see was an exterior facade and two doors. But once inside, Harry realized the joke was on him. It was a lot like Wizard space. He thought it might feel like the home was underground, a low cave-like space with dark, tight corners. Instead, it was bright and open, and felt surprisingly spacious. The grouted stone floor was the same bluish rock he’d seen elsewhere in New Halas, and the walls and ceiling were accented with wood beams and paneling. It was… cozy.

In front of them was a large room with a two-story ceiling. The far side of the room had a bay window that looked out over the frigid waters of the sea; in front of that, smack dab in the center of the room, was an enormous hot tub made from the same stone and wood as the rest of the place. For anyone else, Harry might have thought it was the cheesiest thing ever, something more suited to a university frat house, but something about it in the context of Verseus’ home made sense in a weird way. When Harry asked about it, Verseus just laughed and said it was because he had run out of ideas. Since it was just him who lived there, he didn’t know what else to do with the room – he certainly didn’t need more furniture. And it was more practical than it seemed at first glance: soaking in the hot water helped him keep his muscles loose after long days of fighting or training.

Predictably, Harry’s mind went off in a more lurid direction and he wondered how often it got used for other sorts of activities. Then he realized that if it did, it hadn’t been happening with _him_ , and the idea quickly became a sour one.

The room off to the right looked like a small living room or study, and the room off to the left was the kitchen. There was a staircase leading up, which Harry assumed was the bedroom and bathroom.

Before long, a small animal – Harry hesitated to say dog because it resembled more of a shaggy, white wolf with overlarge paws – came running up to Verseus and circled his feet, letting out a musical sort of howl and wagging its tail. Verseus knelt down to pet the creature, scratching behind its ears, and said something to it that Harry couldn’t understand. He assumed it was the same Elvish language he’d been hearing all day. There was something about the cadence of it, or perhaps it was the fact that Harry didn’t understand a word of it, that made it sound irrationally sexy.

When the animal ran over to inspect Harry, it jumped up and placed its paws on Harry’s legs, obviously excited at the prospect of attention from someone new. Harry was about to reach down and pet it when Verseus clicked his tongue.

“Asra, tampa! Tula sinome.” [1]

It must have been a reprimand of some kind, because the animal ducked its head, moved back over by Verseus and sat down at his feet, looking up at its master as though awaiting the next command. It came in the form of a hand gesture, which caused the animal to wander over to the bench lining the bay window, curl up on the cushions, and drop its head to its forepaws with a sigh, like pets do the world over when they’ve been dismissed.

“What kind of, um, animal is that?” Harry asked.

After checking to be sure it was indeed behaving, Verseus turned back to Harry. “Asra is a Highland Snowmane. He was an orphan when I rescued him from a dangerous and neglectful situation. He is not even one season old yet, but he is very smart and is taking well to my training.”

Harry smiled at that, then looked back over at Asra. “I take it he doesn’t understand English, though. Er, Common, I mean.”

“No. Asra only knows Koada’Dal, my native tongue.”

Privately, Harry was thinking Verseus could speak in that native tongue of his any time he wanted. In fact, _all of the time_ would suit Harry, even though it would make what was left of his flimsy self-control even flimsier.

“I apologize that he jumped on you,” Verseus said.

“Oh, no problem,” Harry said. Then he became curious – or perhaps just wanted to hear more. “How do you say ‘no problem’ in your language?”

Verseus looked at him in surprise, as though pleased by Harry’s interest. “N’dela no’ta.”

Harry repeated it in his head, then smiled, feeling his cheeks heat a bit when he realized he was being watched. “Oh. Cool. Thanks.”

Verseus took a step closer, his gaze keen. “Seasamin.”

“What does that mean?” Harry asked, a little breathlessly.

Verseus’ eyes mapped Harry’s face for a moment before he lifted a hand and ghosted the back of it down Harry’s cheek, barely touching. “My pleasure,” he whispered. Harry’s breathing had gone shallow, reacting to Verseus’ proximity, his almost-touch and his pleasantly deep voice. The raw desire he felt for this elf was going to drive him insane if he couldn’t break through this flirty curiosity soon. It seemed Verseus understood that (or perhaps was just feeling the moment, too) because the next thing Harry knew, he was being gently kissed, two strong hands cupping his cheeks.

Harry moaned, feeling his knees go a bit soft. He wanted to hold Verseus in return but couldn’t compel his arms to move, and wasn’t sure the best place to grab given all of the armor. Instead, he just sank further into the kiss and tried to give back as good as he got.

But all too soon it was over. Verseus pulled back and gave Harry a soft smile. “I apologize if I am being too forward. Please tell me.”

“No, no, I liked it,” Harry rushed to assure him. Thankfully, those cerulean-blue eyes stayed locked with his own and didn’t drift downward, or Verseus would have seen _exactly_ how much Harry had enjoyed that. Verseus had the benefit of metal armor, which Harry supposed hid many sins. Jeans – not so much.

At Harry’s look of _please do that again_ , Verseus chuckled softly. “I must attend to your needs before I become too distracted with you.”

“Distracted is good,” Harry said, grinning hopefully.

Verseus returned the grin. “First, food. You must be very hungry after your journey.”

 _Yes_ _–_ _hungry,_ thought Harry. _That_ _’_ _s one word for it._ But he knew what Verseus meant, and now that he’d been given pause to check in with his stomach, he discovered that he was actually starving. He supposed somewhere in all the commotion of traveling to a distant realm, being almost devoured by a pack of wild animals, and meeting his fantasy in the flesh, he’d forgotten all about eating.

“Come,” Verseus said, taking Harry’s hand and pulling him towards the kitchen. “I shall cook for you.”

#

Harry realized quite quickly that ‘cooking’ for Verseus meant stretching the definition of the word to its very limits. Verseus wasn’t a cook, he was a _chef_. Harry recalled him saying he was a Master Provisioner, but until confronted with the reality of what that actually looked like, Harry just assumed it meant cooking, as in the sort of thing he did at home, where he put two or three foods together until it mostly resembled something to eat. Occasionally, something even had to be _cooked_ , not just heated up.

But not this. _This_ was an art form.

Pulling out a few pans of varying purposes, a bowl and some utensils: that was normal. Walking over to the open pantry and cooler at the back of the kitchen and snapping some herbs off a plant, gathering up a bowl of meat, and then comparing the smell of two bundles of vegetables before selecting one: already more than Harry had ever done. Dipping a spoon in the sauce and lifting it up to watch the consistency drip back into the pan, then tasting it and adjusting the recipe on the fly without measuring anything: yep, art.

Mesmerized, Harry sat on a stool at the counter island and watched while Verseus worked. It didn’t take more than twenty minutes to prepare everything. There had to have been magic involved, despite the fact that Verseus obviously knew his way around the kitchen, for what emerged was a beautifully rendered meal that should have taken far longer than that to prepare. Verseus even arranged everything artfully on their plates. The act seemed casual and ordinary to Verseus, but to Harry, it felt like he was being served in a fancy restaurant.

For the finishing touch, Verseus lifted the saucepan off the stove and drizzled whatever was inside across the meat and vegetables, the steaming burgundy sauce bringing with it a mouth-watering aroma. Verseus set one plate down in front of Harry, then proceeded to ruin the whole ‘chef formality’ thing by picking up his own plate, leaning against the counter behind him, and eating while standing. Harry wasn’t sure why, but something about that squeezed at his heart.

Dinner turned out to be Vulrich steak, a variety of roasted vegetables that Harry couldn’t remember the names of, fresh-baked nut bread, and something called xegonberry pie for dessert. He didn’t know if it was all just that delicious, or if he was just that hungry, but he ate more than he could ever remember eating in a long time. He sat back on his stool and draped an arm over his full stomach.

Verseus looked at Harry’s empty plate and grinned. “You thought it was good?”

“ _Good?_ ” Harry barked out a laugh. “I’ve never even been to a _restaurant_ that good!”

Verseus looked down and smiled, his lips pulled to the side in a sweetly modest expression. It was adorable and Harry had to resist the urge to climb over the island and kiss him. Thankfully, Verseus looked back up and continued talking before Harry could act, effectively cooling his heels. “Nori thinks I should open a restaurant.”

Harry smiled, seeing the appeal of it right away. “Why don’t you?”

Verseus began cleaning the utensils from dinner, his face a bit chagrined. “Perhaps one day. It would be cowardly to hide myself away in a restaurant, especially now that I have finished my training. These past cycles, I have worked to establish an alliance with the elves in Nye'Caelona. Next, I wish to help unite them with the city of Qeynos. My skills are needed there… less so as a cook.”

Harry watched the flash of a familiar pain skitter across those fine features. Guilt and longing, the struggle of having to put aside passion for duty. Oh, yes, Harry knew a thing or two about that. Still, he hoped with everything he had that Verseus could one day have the restaurant he so obviously desired.

This reminded Harry there was a whole world outside the front door, a world completely unknown to him, one where life and politics and fighting and births and deaths and commerce and trades and everything else continued to happen regardless of him and his personal interstellar blunders. If Harry hadn’t ended up on Norrath, what would Verseus be doing on a day-to-day basis? What was Harry’s presence costing him? Part of him wanted to know, but the more selfish side tabled the question for another time. It felt like a heavy topic and Harry didn’t think he could deal with that right now.

Instead, he jumped up to help Verseus clean up from dinner, and steered them back to simpler topics – something that Verseus also seemed to appreciate, given the way his features relaxed once more. The pair of them enjoyed a surprisingly effortless conversation (something Harry rarely experienced with people he’d just met) while putting Verseus’ kitchen back to rights.

For Verseus’ part, it seemed he had a never-ending list of questions, which Harry discovered he was only too happy to answer. He explained how magic worked on Earth and what sorts of magic he could do personally, and talked at length about the Wizarding world. However, since he was fairly new to it himself (and had never paid attention in any of Binns’ classes), he could only speak to small portions of its history, but said Hermione could fill in the gaps if he wanted to know more later.

Verseus inquired about Harry’s clothing, about why he and Hermione had arrived dressed so strangely and without any kind of armor or weapons. Harry could only laugh and explain that only a very small percentage of his planet were magic wielders – and moreover, that their society was a secret. To say that both were foreign concepts to Verseus would be an understatement. Then again, having already learned a tiny bit about how people lived on Norrath, Harry felt he could understand – and agree with – that bafflement.

In return, he discovered that Verseus was a Paladin – which, if he remembered correctly from his books, were lightbringers; champions of chivalry and valor. That seemed to fit from what Harry had already witnessed of Verseus, though it certainly did nothing to temper his attraction. If anything, it fanned the flames tenfold. He couldn’t really account for why, unless he really did harbor a secret desire to have a brave knight charge into battle on a horse, sword drawn, to save him. Didn’t everyone think that was sexy as hell? No? He groaned to himself. Maybe he _had_ read too many fantasy books.

#

After the embers in the fire had died down and they’d shared the last of a bottle of mulled wine, Harry had found himself inordinately sleepy, which is how he ended up lying in a bed. Alone, unfortunately. Verseus, so far the consummate host, had given up his bedroom for Harry’s use and was presently elsewhere in the house. Harry knew he should let himself sleep, but his body was thrumming with low-level anxiety (and perhaps something else) and his mind would not quiet.

He thought about home and the people they’d left behind, again wondering if their absence had been noticed yet, and if so, what was being done about it. Not that there was really anything they _could_ do. They’d have no way of knowing what had happened and where he and Hermione had gone, especially since they’d brought that strange baton with them. If the inhabitants of an advanced planet were confused about how they’d gotten there, what hope did the people of Earth have?

He thought of Hermione, and wondered how she was settling in at Nori’s house. It was strange to be on Norrath with her, yet staying in separate places, no matter how comfortable it felt being with Verseus. Hermione had always been something of a touchstone for him, keeping his feet on the ground and his head above water, but now it was especially true, being the only link he had to home. And even though the two of them had been through a lot of crazy shit together, this latest snafu likely topped them all. Harry hoped she would be able to forgive him in time.

He also thought about Verseus. Hadn’t really stopped, to be honest. He thought back to their first meeting (had that really only been a matter of hours ago?), their delicious meal together, the interesting conversation, and their time spent by the fire learning, among other things, which sports they each played or enjoyed (Verseus was a swimmer, Harry gushed about Quidditch). It felt so natural spending time with Verseus, like they’d known each other for years. It made Harry feel instantly at home. Perhaps too at home. He couldn’t really account for his behavior so far – he’d never kissed someone within an hour of meeting them, and never thought he’d be the type who would. It was so out of character for him that he wondered if traveling through that portal had changed him somehow.

Rolling to his side, Harry bunched the pillow he was using into a new shape, discovering as he did so that it smelled faintly of Verseus. Harry pressed his nose to it and inhaled, luxuriating in that uniquely spicy, outdoorsy scent. It stirred an ache within his chest, adding to his already-present anxiety, and he realized he didn’t want to be alone right now.

Getting out of bed, Harry padded across the room and into the hallway, which looked out over the main room and the hot tub. Both were empty, however. From this vantage point on the second floor, Harry could also see both the living room and the bench in front of the bay window, but those, too, were empty. Perhaps Verseus was in the kitchen? Harry went downstairs to check, but found it equally as vacant. He was starting to panic a bit; he hadn’t considered the fact that Verseus may have gone somewhere else and left Harry to sleep in his house.

A quiet yelp, almost a bark, startled Harry and he turned toward the noise. Asra materialized from somewhere and came running over to him. Grateful to have _some_ company, Harry crouched down and pet the little creature behind its ears, smiling at the way Asra turned in circles, tail wagging happily.

“Harry?” came the voice Harry really wanted to hear. Relief flooded his system. He looked up to see Verseus poking his head out of an opening under the staircase. Curious, Harry stood up and moved closer, then bent down to peer in. Instead of a closet – or a storage cupboard, as it had been for Harry – the space was a reading nook. Verseus was lounging on a pile of large cushions (shirtless, Harry couldn’t help but note) with a book in his hands. A short bookcase was built into the low end of the space, near his bare feet, and a small lamp gave off a warm, relaxing glow.

“Is everything all right?” Verseus asked.

“Yeah… I just couldn’t sleep,” Harry said, dragging his hand through his hair. “Sorry to bother you, I’ll just…” he trailed off, gesturing toward the stairs. He started to turn, but felt warm fingers close around his wrist.

“Wait,” Verseus said. “You wanted something.”

 _Yes_ , Harry thought. _You_. But after seeing the genuine concern in Verseus’ eyes, he suddenly felt silly, like a child who needed one more drink of water before he could go to bed. He sighed. _Well, nothing for it._ “I have trouble sleeping alone,” he admitted. Having spent his years at Hogwarts in a room with four other boys, then his final year camping with Hermione and Ron, he preferred having others nearby at night. Even now, in the few months since the war, Ron and Hermione had been staying with him at Grimmauld until they could figure out what was next, and Harry was in no hurry for them to move out.

The compassion that bloomed in Verseus’ eyes was truly something to behold, and it made Harry’s insides go soft. He watched as Verseus slid over on the cushions and nodded at the space next to him, a warm smile in invitation. Harry’s heartbeat kicked up a notch or twenty, but he wasted no time climbing in and settling on his side. Asra jumped in after him and licked at his ear, causing him to squeak with laughter.

Verseus snapped his fingers and Asra stopped, moving to sit by their feet instead. Still, the small creature kept a careful watch on Harry, seeming to understand what was going on in that way that only animals could. Eventually, Asra laid down, testing a couple positions before settling with his back pressed firmly against Harry’s shin. Harry smiled, touched by the gesture and the furry warmth.

Verseus resumed reading his book (Harry guessed it was in an Elvish language, given the strange but beautiful markings on the covers) while Harry enjoyed the view his new position afforded him. Practically nose-to-skin with Verseus, he found he could admire the pointy ears and slim, toned chest at his leisure. He didn’t know what it was about this particular elf (or high elves in general), but the attraction Harry felt was undeniable. Trying not to squirm – or extend his tongue to lick a wet stripe up that pale flesh – Harry attempted to think about something else. _Anything_ else. He was exhausted, yet mentally wired, and was running half on adrenaline and half on sheer force of will.

And he also wanted to kiss Verseus again.

Some portion of that thought must have translated, because it soon became clear that Verseus knew Harry was fighting the urge to touch him. Verseus set his book aside and turned to look at Harry with a soft, curious gaze. God, Harry was lost here. Lost in the way this elf made him feel, lost in the hypnotic blue of those almond-shaped eyes, lost in the way this proximity sent shivers across his body. Verseus leaned up on one elbow and looked down into Harry’s face, his free hand cupping Harry’s outer cheek and jawbone.

“Shall I kiss you again?” Verseus asked quietly (and needlessly, Harry thought). All Harry could do was nod, feeling his heart race. Pleased, Verseus’ mouth curled into a grin.

The kiss started off gentle, those warm, dry lips pressing against Harry’s, capturing his lower lip and suckling it gently, before slowly teasing a tongue inside. Harry’s breath caught in his throat. How could something so simple as a kiss set his nerves on fire? Verseus was barely touching him and already Harry’s cock had jumped to attention, pressing against the placket of his jeans. Not that he could do anything about that. If he tried to turn his hips away or cover himself, it would be obvious what he was doing, and then the added focus would be even more embarrassing. Then again, Verseus’ only clothing was a pair of black, cotton-like trousers – they wouldn’t hide much, either.

Obviously unconcerned, Verseus rolled Harry onto his back, increasing the intensity of the kiss before moving to trail his lips across Harry’s face, behind his ears, along the cords of his neck. Harry tipped his head back, welcoming the exploration and searing kisses. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted this – wanted _him_ – until he’d felt those lips everywhere. Harry wound his arms around Verseus’ neck and shoulders, thrilling at being able to feel Verseus’ bare skin for the first time. It was as incredible as he’d hoped: soft and smooth, like warm silk. Soon Harry’s hips began acting of their own accord, and he couldn’t stop himself from trying to push his cock up against the body above him, looking for friction, connection, contact, anything.

Verseus’ lips brushed the shell of Harry’s ear as he whispered, “What do you need?”

Harry bit back a moan. “You,” he managed to say. “Please.”

“Saesa,” Verseus teased him with a grin, still placing slow kisses on his face.

It took Harry a minute to realize it wasn’t a word he understood. “What?”

“It means ‘please’ in my language,” Verseus said, in the same soft tone as before, perhaps remembering how much it excited Harry to hear Koada’Dal.

“Saesa, saesa, saesa, saesa.” Harry repeated it like a mantra, half whispering, half moaning.

Verseus chuckled, low and throaty, and hovered a hand over Harry’s groin. “Panta sii' bela ndu,” he said. Harry didn’t need a translator to know that the magic had unfastened his jeans and slid them down to sit low across his thighs, his underwear following. He guessed there was probably a practical, non-sexual reason for that spell, but couldn’t help appreciating Verseus’ use of it here.

At the first touch of a hand and mouth to his cock, Harry almost launched himself off the cushions. “Fuck!” he gasped, sliding his fingers into that short, white-blonde hair, feeling Verseus’ head bob over his groin. Like their kissing, this was another ‘first’ with a man, an experience Harry quickly learned was infinitely more mind-blowing when done by someone with first-hand knowledge of the type of flesh they were pleasuring. Verseus had barely swallowed him thrice when Harry exploded in climax.

“Ahhhh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Harry groaned, breathing hard. He covered his face with his hands, utterly mortified at going off like a goddamn cannon at practically the same moment Verseus had touched him. It was times like this when he felt so young and inexperienced, ashamed that he couldn’t hold out longer. To his surprise, Verseus only chuckled.

“Do not be sorry. You are very sexy when you come,” he said, the hint of a growl to his voice, his eyes dancing with both heat and amusement. He continued to stroke Harry leisurely with a hand while leaning down for a kiss, Harry tasting himself against Verseus’ tongue. It spurned him on again, and he reciprocated as best he could until his body finally collapsed, utterly spent.

Verseus stopped his attentions and waved his hand over Harry’s pelvis, whispering what sounded like _poika_ under his breath. Harry was only vaguely aware of a sensation that felt like a cleansing charm, and was beyond grateful he wouldn’t have to wake in the morning unpleasantly stuck to something.

Almost ready to drift off, Harry felt himself being bodily arranged on the cushions. He ended up laying on his side in Verseus’ embrace, his head pillowed on Verseus’chest, and an arm under him, cradling his shoulders. Asra, who had gotten a little jostled during their activity, jumped over their bodies to curl up against the backs of Harry’s knees instead. Snuggling in tight, Harry murmured his contentment, and was asleep within seconds.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> [1] Asra, stop! Come here.
> 
> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):  
> Radjur = RAD jer  
> Asra = AZZ ruh


	6. Chapter 6

**DAY 2**

Harry woke the next morning feeling very refreshed, and he stretched with a yawn. However, no sooner had he opened his eyes than he was instantly reminded of where he was: Norrath, Verseus’ home, cozy reading nook, alone… bare legs? He remembered falling asleep with his jeans on, after they…

Harry sat up quickly and looked around, only to see his jeans folded neatly just to the outside of the reading nook, his glasses set on top of them. He put his face in his hands and groaned softly to himself, feeling embarrassed all over again. He hadn’t even offered to do anything for Verseus in return, not that he had been in any state to reciprocate, but now it appeared Verseus had minimally undressed him so he’d be more comfortable.

Climbing out of the nook, Harry slipped his jeans and glasses back on, sparing a thought for the fact he was probably going to need some other clothes if he was going to be on Norrath much longer. A faint sound drew him to the kitchen, where he paused for a moment and took a deep breath before peeking his head around the doorway. He hoped his embarrassment was no longer showing on his face.

Verseus was still shirtless, wearing the same cotton-like trousers as the night before. He was leaning over the island counter, reading what appeared to be the same book as last night. He held the pages open with one hand and had something edible – perhaps a fruit? – in his other hand. It was about the size of a cricket ball, the skin a purple-orange color, with several bites missing already.

“Morning,” Harry said quietly, not wishing to startle Verseus. It didn’t seem he had when Verseus looked up and offered the smile he kept using on Harry, the one that made Harry’s stomach flutter.

“Did you sleep well?” Verseus asked.

Harry fought the blush that threatened to return, trying not to read more into the question than Verseus probably meant. He cleared his throat so his voice wouldn’t break when he answered. “I did, yes. Thanks for…” _For what? For taking such good care of me? For giving me a bloody amazing blowjob?_ “For making me so comfortable.” He gestured vaguely to his jeans and glasses just to be sure Verseus understood his meaning.

Verseus’ smile widened and he bowed his head. Then he seemed to remember himself and stood up, letting the book fall closed. He pushed two bowls closer to the edge of the counter as he motioned for Harry to sit on one of the stools. The larger bowl, Harry noticed, was filled with the same purple-orange things Verseus was eating. Next to it, a smaller bowl contained what appeared to be some kind of shelled nut.

“Is this what you usually eat for breakfast?” Harry asked, popping a small handful of the nuts into his mouth.

Verseus nodded. “But if you would prefer something else, I would be pleased to make it for you.”

Harry was tempted to say yes just so he could watch Verseus cook again, but since he didn’t usually eat breakfast, the fruit and nuts would be plenty. He selected one of the purple-orange things and, mimicking Verseus, took a bite out of it, flesh and all. The outside was similar to the skin of a peach – soft and fuzzy – and the inside was firm and juicy, like a melon. But the flavor! It was sharp and citrusy and delicious.

Harry rotated the fruit in his hand and took another bite, then held it up. “What is this?” he asked, mouth half-full as he chewed.

Verseus smiled. “A Kejekan palmfruit. Do you like it?”

Harry nodded, licking the juice off his finger. “And these?” he added, pointing to the bowl of nuts.

“Caynars.”

Harry couldn’t help but smile in return. For two items that had remarkably similar flavors to things on Earth – sort of a grapefruit-orange hybrid and a more savory cashew, respectively – it was funny to him that they’d have entirely different names on Norrath. And look completely different. It seemed the universe could be as vast as could be, yet it still only offered a finite set of flavors.

It made Harry wonder if Norrath had another flavor he really liked and had become quite accustomed to having while camping much of the past year. “Do you have coffee here?”

Verseus nodded. “We do, though I cannot say if it is similar to what you are used to. You will have to tell me.” He turned to the open shelf behind him and pulled down a mug, then moved to the stove and did something on its surface. Harry could hear the sounds of metal clanking and liquid being poured. He couldn’t figure out what was happening, exactly, given that Verseus’ back was blocking his view, but guessed it was more of that signature cooking magic. Sure enough, when Verseus turned back around, he was holding the handle of a strange canister. It looked a bit like a tall metal jar with a spout across the top. Leaning closer, Harry watched as Verseus filled the mug with whatever it was he’d just made. It certainly looked and smelled like steaming coffee.

Unsure of what to expect, Harry picked up the mug and took his first sip. Without even realizing it, he closed his eyes and groaned in pleasure, letting that smooth, dark flavor burst across his tongue, its heat searing down his throat. It felt like every nerve and cell in his body was waking up. Yes, this was definitely coffee. _Really good_ coffee, in fact. Did they have some kind of magic bean on Norrath? Harry opened his eyes. “What _is_ this?”

“Coffee,” Verseus said, his lips twitching.

Harry barked out a laugh. “Not like any coffee I’ve ever had. Either that or I really was drinking crap last year.” He took another sip and smiled, his eyes closing of their own accord again, feeling the heat spread all throughout his body. That was his favorite thing about coffee: its ability to warm him to his bones. Not that he was especially chilly right now – Verseus’ house always seemed to be at the perfect temperature (he suspected more magic) – it was just that drinking coffee felt comforting to him, like a liquid hug. Even better if it had chocolate and milk in it…

“He likes you.”

Startled, Harry opened his eyes to see Asra sitting on the floor next to his stool, watching him closely.

“He slept next to you the entire night as well,” Verseus went on.

Harry was surprised, but also secretly pleased. Wasn’t it a good sign when someone else’s pet liked you? Especially when that someone was a sexy elf that Harry hoped he’d get to see again? He reached down and scratched the top of Asra’s head and got an enthusiastic lick in return. “He’s not like this with everyone?”

“No.” Verseus regarded Asra thoughtfully. “I think he feels you need protecting.”

Something about that sentiment made Harry realize he really liked the feeling of being looked after. It was a new one for him. It also emboldened him to ask, “And what do you think? _Do_ I need protecting?”

Verseus made his way around the island counter, his walk slow and deliberate, to stand in front of Harry.

“Definitely,” he said.

Being presented with that pale, bare chest made it difficult for Harry to think, or even sit still. He remembered how warm and silky that skin felt last night and his fingers itched to touch it again. With some difficulty, he pulled his gaze away and looked up into Verseus’ face. “Brilliant. Know of anyone qualified for the job?”

Harry could tell Verseus was trying to maintain his sexy Elvish prowl, but it faded quickly when he began to laugh. The sound was warm and bright in the small kitchen, the laugh of someone who was happily giving up the ruse because he was too delighted or surprised by the turn of events. Harry grinned. There had not always been a lot of cause for humor in his life, but he did have his moments.

A soft touch to Harry’s cheek made him look up again. Verseus was watching him closely: his head tipped to the side, mouth quirked in one corner, a certain warmth to his gaze. Harry squirmed a bit under the admiring scrutiny, but gave a shy smile back.

Even though things hadn’t been awkward between them this morning, without any mention of last night – or indeed any mention of where they go from here – Harry wasn’t sure what to think. This was all new territory for him. Had he just had his first one-night stand?

“I neglected to ask this last night, but may I have your surname?”

Harry very nearly flinched, but then remembered where he was. _Probably not a one-night stand, then. Weren_ _’_ _t those supposed to stay mostly anonymous?_ “Potter,” he answered, still unable to keep himself from watching for some type of recognition or reaction. Verseus didn’t seem to have either – and why would he? Perhaps some small part of Harry thought it would be cool if a faraway planet had heard of him. Then again, one of the best things about Norrath so far was that here, he could just be _Harry_.

“Well, Harry Potter,” Verseus said with a soft smile, “it has been a pleasure hosting you. If you need to stay more time on Norrath, you are welcome here again.”

Harry’s heart beat a little faster. _Definitely not a one-night stand._ “Thanks,” he said with a smile, then bit his lip.

Verseus made his way over to the doorway to the kitchen, then turned in profile to look at Harry over his shoulder. “I must get ready now. Take your time here, and use the bath if you wish. When you are finished, we shall return to the guild hall. They will be expecting us.”

It was like someone had just popped a balloon: Harry’s buoyant mood deflated instantly. He had really been enjoying this leisurely time spent alone with Verseus, trying new foods and making flirty conversation. He wasn’t ready to talk about going home just yet. With a sigh, he took another big bite out of his palmfruit, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he’d get to taste one.

#

Once the guild hall materialized into view, Harry realized that Hermione had already been there for some time. She was sitting on the same bench as yesterday, the one underneath the staircase, and Nori was leaning against the armrest opposite her, chuckling at something that had just been said. On the floor in front of Hermione was a kneeling figure wearing ornately-patterned attire. He was big, whoever he was (Harry assumed a ‘he’ given the broad shoulders and back), but that wasn’t the curious thing. It was that he had large animal paws for feet.

The figure said something to Hermione, which made her laugh, and then he stood up. Harry blinked as a long, furry tail uncoiled from underneath him, his body unfurling inch by inch until it reached a staggering height. What could possibly be weird about a seven foot tall cat that walked upright and talked?

Harry shook his head. “Of course you would befriend a giant cat, Hermione,” he remarked, but then froze, realizing how that sounded – and that he knew absolutely nothing about this species. “Er, sorry… sir.”

The cat growled, a deep rumbling noise that seemed to fill the room, and everyone stopped. Or Harry thought everyone had, until he caught sight of Nori and Verseus out of the corner of his eye. They were doing their best not to laugh and were only half succeeding. The cat’s growl reached a deafening pitch, then suddenly morphed into a loud, hearty chortle. Soon everyone was laughing – except Harry. He put his hands over his face. The number of times he could stick his foot in his mouth was truly astonishing, and he marveled at how he was even still alive. He really needed to remember where he was.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, daring to look up at the giant cat through his eyelashes.

“Korrashu,” the cat said with a grin, sticking out his paw for Harry to shake. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Not sure exactly how he was supposed to shake a huge cat paw, Harry settled on cupping it with both of his hands and lifting it up and down a few times. Korrashu didn’t seem to notice, or at least had the grace not to mention if Harry was doing it wrong. “Harry,” he squeaked in response.

“Welcome to Norrath, Harry,” the cat said, still chuckling.

Harry’s attention redirected when he heard Verseus ask, “May I have a look?” He was gesturing to Hermione’s leg, presumably to see if the healing he’d administered yesterday had progressed at all. She smiled and gave a small nod in invitation. However, before Verseus could inspect anything, Korrashu stepped over to join him.

“I apologize, Verseus, but I have already applied a new treatment.”

“Mine did not work?”

“Unfortunately, no. I believe it is because Elvish medicine has its basis in magic.”

Verseus considered Hermione for a moment. “Then that confirms they do not have magic here.”

“That remains to be seen,” Korrashu said. “For now, I am attempting Kerran medicine. It has its basis in nature and does not require magic to work. My tribal culture may seem primitive to others, but it does have its advantages.”

“I would love to see it sometime, if possible,” Hermione cut in. The eagerness in her voice was unmistakeable and Harry wondered what all he’d missed in that earlier conversation, before he’d arrived.

Korrashu looked surprised, but pleased. “If there is time, I would be honored to show you.”

#

**DAY 3**

After a second day of sitting around the guild hall, Harry was nearly going spare. He really thought that for flinging himself across the universe and landing on another planet, there would be a lot more happening by now. He was restless and bored and could think of lots of other things he’d rather be doing. And who he’d rather be doing them with. Automatically, he glanced over at Verseus, who was standing by the long counter at the back of the room, showing the baton to yet another guild member. So far, no one had recognized it or knew how to decipher its secrets.

Harry was beginning to wonder if the device was even from Norrath.

The one person who might be able to answer that was the one person they were still waiting on: Nilul, one of the guild co-founders. She had been summoned the day of their arrival, but had apparently gotten delayed.

At least Harry’d been able to stay with Verseus again last night, the pair of them continuing to enjoy good conversation and even better food, and stealing kisses in the in-between times. Sometimes Harry was frustrated that things hadn’t progressed further (not even a duplicate of his first night), but he supposed he couldn’t fault Verseus. At any moment, Harry was due to be heading back home. It wouldn’t do for Verseus to get too invested – even if Harry himself had already whizzed way past infatuation.

The doors to the guild hall banged open and several people in the room turned to look as one.

“Nilul!” Nori exclaimed, her expression awash with relief. She hurried over to help unload the mountain of rolled parchments and scrolls Nilul was carrying and set them on a nearby table.

Harry’s first impression of Nilul was that she was tall. His second impression was something along the lines of: was that a _rabbit_ on her head? The rest of her was covered in some kind of burnished copper armor, a rather large and intimidating mace-like weapon hanging from her hip, but there, perched on her head, was a white, furry hat with a rabbit head on the front. He didn’t _think_ it was a real rabbit, but he swore it kept blinking at him.

Nilul stopped when she got close to Harry and looked him up and down. “You are not of this world.” Surprised, Harry could only stare back, unsure of what to say, when Nori rescued him.

“This is Harry – one of the visitors I told you about. And that is Hermione.” Nori gestured to the bench under the stairs and Hermione lifted her hand in greeting. “Harry and Hermione, this is Nilul.” They both nodded.

That’s when Harry caught a glimpse of something green glowing on Nilul’s face. When she turned her head, the light in the room revealed it was a series of iridescent glyphs adorning her olive-gray skin: one on her forehead, one under each eye, one on her chin, and several circling her neck, half-hidden by the collar of her armor.

Harry stared in awe. Did they serve some purpose, magical or otherwise? How did they glow? He caught himself reaching a hand out as though to touch them, but Nilul’s quizzical glance made him jerk his hand back. There were things he wanted to ask in that moment, many things, but he suppressed his normal foot-to-mouth urge. What did manage to slip out was, “How did you know I was a visitor?”

“Nilul can see magical auras,” Nori said. “Or the absence of one. I do not think you have one here.”

“No, their magic will not work here,” confirmed Nilul. “They are not of Norrath.”

“Ah – that would make sense,” Korrashu said, almost to himself, as though something he’d been wondering about had just now fit into place. He was seated on the bench next to Hermione. Likely noticing her confusion, he turned and explained, “Magic is elemental. It is tied to the elements of where you were created. You were not born of the elements of Norrath, which means you also cannot wield them.”

“Of course!” Hermione said, and Harry could almost see her mental wheels start to whirl. Under different circumstances, he might have laughed, but the reality was he’d wanted to understand, too. It had been really freaky and disorienting arriving on Norrath only to discover a huge part of who he was was no longer accessible.

Nilul motioned to their small group – himself and Hermione, Nori, Verseus and Korrashu – to join her at the table. She pushed her stack of scrolls aside and got right to it. “May I see the device?”

Hermione pulled the baton from her pocket, holding it gingerly as though she was afraid she’d accidentally activate it, and set it in Nilul’s hand. Nilul, for her part, began to inspect the device, flipping it to and fro as though it were just some ordinary object and not a device that had recently transported two people across the stars. It looked like Hermione was about to remark on that but decided to hold her tongue.

Nilul narrowed her eyes. “ _You two_ ,” she said, looking closely at both Harry and Hermione, “traveled here with _this_? With a _Draconic_ device?”

“Yes,” Hermione said. “We think it opened or activated a portal of some kind between our two planets.”

“Impossible.”

Hermione smiled. “Well, we’re sitting here, aren’t we?”

Nilul shook her head. “No, I do not mean the portal, I mean the device. Only dragons can activate Draconic devices.”

Harry’s heart stuttered to life, confusion and shock jumpstarting his system. It must have shown on his face, for Hermione was staring back at him with an equally alarmed expression.

“But how could that be?” Hermione asked.

“You tell me,” Nilul said, her bright green eyes – not unlike Harry’s own, he noted – were sharp.

“I… I don’t know,” Hermione said. “It was just me and Harry who touched it.”

“Were there other objects?”

“Yes, there was a book or journal of some kind, written in the same language. And star maps, and a table with giant bones for legs.”

Nilul perked up at this, almost as though she expected them to hand over those items as well, but quickly came to the same inevitable conclusion as the rest of them: until they reconnected with Earth, no one was going to get their hands (or eyes) on any of those things.

Returning her attention to the baton, Nilul hummed. Setting it on the table, she pointed to each dial in turn. “Draconic L, T, S, M, K. The dragons have encoded this.”

“How so?” Nori asked.

“It is all single letters – no words, no legend.”

“What of these little marks next to each letter?” Korrashu asked, pointing at one.

“Numbers,” Nilul said.

Harry looked closer. Indeed, each dial had the same letter on all six sides, but the numbers that accompanied them were different. With five dials and six sides, that was – Harry tried to do the math in his head but gave up quickly – a lot of possible combinations.

“Does L-T-S-M-K spell anything?” Hermione asked. “An abbreviation, maybe?”

Nilul shook her head. “Too easy.”

Hermione bit her lip, tapping a finger on the table’s surface as she thought about it some more. “What about the first letter of five different words? Whatever corresponds to each dial, perhaps?”

“Most certainly,” Nilul agreed. “But first we need to determine what the dials do.”

“If it helps,” Harry offered, “these two were matching when it activated.” He pointed to the first and fifth dials. “And this one moved on its own. I never touched it, but I saw it turn.” He indicated the dial in the center. Nilul pursed her lips and considered the device more closely, her eyes narrowing. It appeared Harry had offered something useful and he was inordinately pleased with himself. Sure, he had a talent for screwing things up, but he was also pretty observant when he needed to be.

“What about the ends?” Verseus asked. There was a small glyph embossed on each end of the baton, shapes that were markedly different from the Draconic letterforms that appeared on the faces of the dials. Both glyphs were round, one with a line that spiraled inwards and the other with a squiggly line bisecting an open circle.

“I have seen this symbol before,” Nilul said, pointing at the one with the squiggly line.

“Where?” Nori said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

“I do not remember. I will think about it for three days.” With that, Nilul stood and wandered off, leaving Harry and Hermione to blink after her retreating form.

Verseus sighed. “So basically we know nothing.” Nori swatted his arm. “What?” he asked with a scowl, rubbing the minor hurt. “We knew it was a Draconic device before. Guess what? We still know it is a Draconic device.”

Harry pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh, hiding his smile behind a hand. Although he understood the seriousness of the situation, he couldn’t help but find Verseus’ snark amusing. Yet it was the truth: they had been discussing the baton off and on for three days now and the only thing they’d learned was which letters were on the dials – which was, as both Nilul and Verseus pointed out, effectively nothing.

“Wait,” Hermione said, and everyone around the table turned to look at her. “Harry, you said these two outer dials were matching at the time it activated.” He nodded at her. “Do you remember if they turned as one, or if one was set and the other turned to match it?”

Harry paused for a moment, thinking. It had only been a few days ago, so it was still fairly fresh in his mind. He closed his eyes, picturing the baton in his hands, and gestured in midair to help the visual along. First, the device had pulsed at him, then the center dial had moved, and finally the outer one. Or had both outer dials moved? He scrunched his eyes tighter, trying to remember. After watching it replay in his mind, he opened his eyes and smiled at Hermione. “Only one of the end dials moved.”

“Which end?” she asked.

“Oh, um…” Harry closed his eyes again, double-checking his recollection. “The last one. Dial five.” This time when he opened his eyes, he saw the faces around the table beaming at him, but only one that made his heart flutter with pride. He aimed a shy smile back at Verseus.

“What are you thinking, Hermione?” Nori asked.

“I don’t have any answers,” Hermione cautioned, “but perhaps…” She paused, once again looking at Harry. “Was dial five the last thing that moved before we were transported?”

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed. It was easy to remember that, as dial five had moved right before Hermione had tried to swat the baton out of his hand.

“Alright,” Hermione started, smiling in that self-satisfied way she did when she felt she was onto something. “My theory is that dial five is the confirmation of all the other dials. Sort of like saying, ‘Yes, lock in these settings and go.’ It’s the last dial on the baton, and also the last thing that moved before we were transported. I don’t know if dragons are that logical, but it makes sense to me.”

Verseus nodded his head a bit, looking impressed.

“It also seems like any dials that move right before transport are specific settings for that… trip, for lack of a better word.” She looked at Harry. “You didn’t see dials two or four move?”

Harry shook his head. If Hermione was right, that meant dials two and four were in some sort of default position. What types of settings wouldn’t have to change with each trip? For that matter, what type of traveling had they even done? “Did we time travel or just travel through space?” he voiced aloud.

A new voice chimed in at that, which quickly identified itself as Nilul. She was passing through the room, looking distracted. “Time travel. Dragons would have no use for space travel without a specific time and place.” She walked over to touch the globe transport thing Harry and Verseus often used and then promptly disappeared.

“Okay, that’s getting a little creepy,” Harry observed.

Korrashu chuckled. “Allow me to explain something about Nilul, if you will. As an Erudite, her main focus in life is the pursuit of knowledge through study, research and consultation. She has been at it for over 500 years already, so you can imagine the libraries-worth of information she has stored in her head.” Harry noticed the envious look on Hermione’s face and almost laughed. Of course she would consider that a worthy goal. “Nilul’s intellect is truly startling. However, even an Erudite’s brain is not designed to handle that much information, so it compensates for the overload with some… rather odd behavior at times. You will get used to it.” He smiled.

“But I thought she had the answers to this baton – that’s why we were waiting to talk to her?” Harry asked.

Nori jumped in this time. “No, I only said I wished to consult with her, as I knew she spoke Draconic. None of us have ever seen this device before, or indeed, anything like it.”

“Great,” Harry muttered to himself. Whatever hope he’d held going into this conversation was now gone. How were they ever going to get home if no one here could even answer the most basic questions about it? And what if it really wasn’t from Norrath, but instead crafted on Earth? What _then_?

But Hermione, God love her, was still trying to figure out the puzzle. Her face was pinched in thought.

“What’s the one thing you’d always want to know if you were time traveling?” she asked.

“When you left, so you would know when to return,” Verseus answered.

“But that would change with each trip, so it could not be a fixed dial,” Nori chimed in.

“The location could,” Verseus said.

“That’s it!” Hermione blurted out, startling half the table. “I bet one of the dials that didn’t move was the location. The origin. Nilul said dragons wouldn’t have any use for space travel without a _time and place_. If you want to be sure you can return to Earth, one of the dials would need to be set for that.”

“Earth?” asked Nori.

“Sorry – that’s the name of our planet,” Hermione said.

“You’d also need a dial for your destination, then, too. Right?” Harry asked of the table.

Verseus nodded. “Yes, unless this particular baton was coded only to travel between your planet and ours.”

“So where does that leave us?” Hermione asked. “You need to know where you are, where you’re going, when you left, and a button to say go. Does that sound about right? If so, what’s the final dial for?”

Harry saw a lot of thinking faces and shrugging shoulders around the table. The unfortunate fact was that they could talk in circles all they wanted, but it wasn’t going to confirm anything unless they could figure out the dragon’s code, or talk to someone who knew how the device worked.

Harry suddenly became curious about something. “Can I see it again?” he asked Korrashu, who was closest to the device. Korrashu looked at it warily before sliding it across the table with little more than an extended claw. When it was within reach, Harry grabbed it and held it in both hands. A couple of the others seemed to flinch at that, or at least held their breath. But since it had responded to him back on Earth, he wondered if it would do so now. Everyone was watching with interest except Korrashu – he was still looking at it like he expected it to explode.

Harry turned over the baton gently, careful not to rotate or press any dials, but just making sure it was in close contact with his hands. However, no matter how he held or touched it, nothing happened.

“I don’t think it’s going to work the same,” Hermione said. “You don’t have magic here, and that was probably what made it react to you initially.”

Harry frowned. “Yeah. Now it just feels like it’s turned off or something.” He set it down.

Nori sat forward, her elbows on the table. “Do you have dragons on your planet?” she asked.

Harry and Hermione both nodded, but it was Hermione who spoke. “Not out in the open where most people can see them, but yes, we do have dragons. Why?”

Nori looked thoughtful. “I was merely wondering if the device was created here, by our dragons, and was later brought to Earth. If you have dragons as well, perhaps the reason it exists is to connect the dragonkin between our two planets.”

They didn’t get a chance to unpack that theory or discuss it further, however, for Nilul had once again materialized from the ether. And it was just as well, since Harry was starting to get a headache from all this fruitless theorizing.

“I suggest we cease speculation and seek the counsel of the Chronomancers. I will make the arrangements. We shall leave for Paineel in two days.” The table went quiet, most of them just nodding and deferring to Nilul’s guidance.

Harry leaned over to Verseus. “Paineel?” he whispered.

“Home of the Erudites, like Nilul. Their Chronomancers are experts in time.”

Harry nodded.

“You two,” Nilul went on, pointing at Harry and Hermione with what looked like a frozen trout in her hand, “must need attire and supplies by now. Please, follow me.”

As they followed Nilul out of the room, Harry turned to Hermione and mouthed, “ _A fish?_ ” She bit her lip to keep from giggling and gave Harry a friendly shove to move him along.

#

Harry and Hermione ended up in the large room adjoining the main area of the guild, this one filled with a variety of craftsman stations – the same kind as he’d seen in the communal area of New Halas. Nilul went to work on what appeared to be a large loom. Harry thought looms were only for making rugs, so he was a bit confused when two leather backpacks and two outfits appeared. Nilul handed one set to each of them.

Harry didn’t have a lot of belongings to carry – it was really only his wand, which was useless on Norrath – but he graciously accepted the backpack anyway. It was lightweight and well made, and would be a handy place to carry his change of clothes and maybe some food from Verseus’ house, if Verseus didn’t mind him nicking some treats, or perhaps just several palmfruits.

The outfit was a bit harder to accept. Not because of the color or style – both were fine. Great, even. It would be strange compared to what he was used to, but he assumed it was standard for Norrathian fashion. It was just… he’d been expecting metal armor.

Hermione followed Nilul out of the room, the two of them chattering away, but Harry hung back. Stopping in front of a mirror, he held his outfit up in front of him.

It was intricately-patterned, much like what Korrashu wore, and was comprised of three pieces: a long-sleeve, form-fitted top, loose trousers and an elaborate belted… thing. It was sapphire blue all over with silver accents draped across the shoulders and around the wrists and ankles. Ornate, bronze lines trailed around the arms and legs, and the belt had a turquoise jewel at its center, securing the pieces covering his groin and hips. There was even a sheath for a sword – not that he’d have use for it.

Nori’s face appeared behind him in the mirror.

“Why can't I have armor like Verseus?” he asked her.

“Too heavy,” Nori said.

Harry tried not to feel offended at that. Did they think him such a lightweight that he couldn’t handle it? It was bad enough that he didn’t have his magic here, but now he couldn’t even wear armor? He wasn’t _that_ small. Or that weak. Harry crossed his arms over his chest, and must have been doing a poor job of masking his sulk, for Nori reached over and rubbed his arm, smiling gently.

“I think you misunderstand. It is not about your ability or strength, it is because you would not be able to attune the armor.”

“Attune?”

“You would not be able to magically connect with it.”

“Oh.” Harry dropped his arms to his sides. “So I’d basically just be wearing a bunch of metal and that’s it?”

“Yes. That is why Verseus is able to move and fight in his, and quite nimbly. Once attuned to his magic, the armor simply becomes an extension of his body.”

Harry thought about that for a moment. He supposed it made sense. It was a bit like having a wand attuned to your magic, it reacted better and more powerfully when you were the master of it. “I really wouldn’t be able to move?”

“Not well or quickly.” Nori laughed. “If you doubt this, I shall have our guild armorer make you a few pieces so you can see.”

Her eyes were dancing with mirth, but Harry wasn’t sure he could share in her humor just yet. If he couldn’t protect himself at all on Norrath, what good would the cloth armor do? With metal armor, he’d be able to stop a bite from an animal or a sword from a foe, at least long enough for someone else to jump in and help him. The metal would give him some tangible protection.

Harry had half a mind to ask Nori to bring in their armorer so he could see if she was right. Then again, she’d been nothing but helpful and honest about everything since they’d arrived, so why this would be any different, he didn’t know. He was just frustrated with this persistent feeling of helplessness. All that training at Hogwarts to learn how to be a wizard and where does he find himself? On a planet where he can’t use any of it.

With a sigh, Harry accepted the outfit Nilul made, the cloth armor. Even though it wouldn’t be magically attuned to him, at least he would blend in with other citizens on Norrath and not look so out of place in his strange Earthly attire. And he did have to admit, the design of it _was_ really cool.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):
> 
> Nilul = nil OOL  
> Korrashu = core AH shu  
> Paineel = pay NEEL


	7. Chapter 7

**DAY 5**

Verseus awoke to the sounds of a snowstorm raging outside. Fortunately, only one wall of his home was exposed to the elements; the rest were built directly into the mountain. With Harry still fast asleep, Verseus went downstairs to have a closer look through the large windows that overlooked the sea. Howling winds were making tiny, crystallized snowflakes ping against the glass, and the view was nearly whited-out, but he could still make out the frigid waters beyond, turbulent and half-frozen with ice. A typical winter storm for New Halas.

Asra whined and tucked himself in close to Verseus’ leg. Verseus had been traversing a snowstorm much like this one when he had stumbled upon Asra, huddled and shivering near the entrance to a collapsed den. It was not clear if the rest of the family had perished inside or if Asra had simply been abandoned, but Verseus knew he must take action. Located deep in the foothills of the Holgresh mountains, the den offered very little protection from the weather, and even less from poachers or predators. With no mother or fellow cubs to help him, Asra could only await his fate – and likely would not have survived the night had Verseus not found him.

Even six cycles later, Asra still did not like to be alone, and followed Verseus wherever he went, even if it was just to the next room.

Verseus knelt down. “Lle naa varna,” [1] he said, reassuring the small creature with several strokes along the soft fur. The quiet, rumbling noise Asra made could almost be mistaken for the purr of a feline, but not quite, as Snowmanes had their own unique vocabulary. Still, Verseus suspected it meant much the same. Two pale yellow eyes looked up at him, brimful of trust.

In the kitchen, Verseus gathered up raw fish and tupta berries, and heated some direwolf’s milk, the closest substitute he had been able to find. The items were consumed readily and seemed to put Asra at ease, calming his conditioned response to the storm and to the starvation that had nearly followed.

Back in the bedroom, Verseus added a few more logs to the fire, then rearranged the cushions that had been scattered across the hearth. Asra did not wait for him to finish before stretching out across them. Despite being a snow-dwelling creature, he had become very fond of the warmth of the fire. Verseus sat for a moment, scratching the fur around Asra’s neck until he seemed to settle once again, his eyes half-closed.

Returning to the bed, Verseus settled in beside Harry once more. He leaned over for a book – this time from a pile on the floor. He had mostly forgotten what was stacked where and so selected one at random. Lifting the book from its spine, he watched something slip from between its pages and flutter to the bed. Curious, he turned it over to reveal a small painted portrait of him and his tutor. It must have been from ten seasons ago now. It was also one of the few pictures he had that featured someone other than a relation.

His family had insisted on private tutoring for his education, so he had not had a lot of opportunity to interact with other elves his own age. He had had a few friends in his younger seasons, but even they had seemed vetted; selected in advance by his parents. He had never understood who they thought they were protecting: themselves, or Verseus. What good did an exceptional education do if you were not allowed your own thoughts or choices?

Then he’d met Calarel. The daughter of a high-ranking politician, she had been granted his parents’ approval with ease. They had gotten along famously from the start, despite her being a few seasons older. Her free-spirited ways and flowing amber hair were refreshing, like the first lung-full of air after a heavy rain. She had opened Verseus’ eyes to a life beyond the walls of his family’s estate; to possibilities he scarcely could have dreamt of.

She had also relieved him of his innocence. Not that he minded. By his sixteenth season, he had already had a strong appetite for and curiosity about sex. Calarel taught him all she knew, the pair enjoying each other’s bodies often and at will. It had felt good, and Verseus had always been eager for more, but there had also been something missing from their encounters that he could not identify – not until he had met a beautiful high elf by the name of Jaron, and understood for the first time that attraction was different than sex. And that for him, attraction meant men.

Jaron was a professor of economics and had been brought in to replace Verseus’ normal tutor for a series of advanced lessons. Except Verseus did not care one whit for economics, and rather thought some advanced lessons in another area would be far more enjoyable. The professor, fortunately not as stodgy as his subject might suggest, obliged Verseus, despite being many seasons his senior.

In the end, however, Jaron turned out to be too haughty and high maintenance. Verseus could not express his emotions or viewpoints, or even share a jest. Jaron saw them as unnecessary entanglements; the whimsies of youth. In fact, there was no conversation that did not revolve around sex. Verseus was grateful for that education – and the outlet, for his sexual needs grew with his experience – but the rest he found lacking, leaving him yearning for connection.

After he left home and started his class training, he sought that connection among his fellow students, most of whom were aged similarly to him. The dalliances were casual and fun, and he found the freedom of that exploration liberating. Rebellious, even. But ultimately just as unfulfilling. Some lovers lacked the emotional openness he was after; others were too reserved physically. Verseus wanted sex to be unrestrained, fiery, intense. He wanted to _feel_ it. He wanted his partner to _feel_ it. For him, the height of pleasure was bringing pleasure to another. But he quickly discovered that while others were happy to take pleasure where it was offered, they were not always keen to reciprocate, or at least not in the way Verseus needed.

The following season, a new group of students entered their class training, and with them, a wood elf named Firus. It was Verseus’ first real relationship; a connection built on common interests and companionship. For the first time, Verseus was the older one with expertise to share – a dynamic he discovered he relished. There were still some fundamental incompatibilities, however, and the relationship dissolved amicably after one season, but not before Verseus took a valuable lesson from it – something that had been simmering beneath seasons of other encounters, if only he had recognized it at the time: elves were best suited as friends, not lovers.

In some ways, the realization was freeing. Having been raised solely among other high elves, he had been taught to avoid all other races – especially humans. Going outside of his race meant debasing himself; polluting his lineage. Yet that did not dampen his desire to meet them all. _Especially_ humans. Perhaps it was their taboo nature that stirred his curiosity most. Perhaps it was his stubbornness, or his fondness for flouting tradition. Whichever was responsible, humans were the first thing he sought out while lending his skills to the plight of villages and cities alike.

It did not take long to discover that what he had been taught was a lie.

Whether humble farmers or shrewd merchants, the humans were always kind to him and grateful for his help – a far cry from the brutish and savage race he had been warned away from. Verseus felt his parents could not have known many humans in order to hold fast to such prideful and insular beliefs. Or perhaps it was merely willful ignorance on their part, something he had even less patience for.

But out of all the things he learned about humans, what was most surprising was how unskilled they were at shielding emotion and physiological responses, at least against the heightened senses of elves. Pheromones, in particular, were trivial to scent. Like that first day, when Harry had barely stepped foot into Verseus’ home. The scent of his attraction was so appealing, Verseus could barely hold a single thought in his mind. He had first picked up on it when they met in the guild hall, but it had grown in potency after their travel to New Halas. With great effort, he had stopped himself at one kiss, though pleasuring Harry later that night had almost been his undoing. The taste of Harry, the sounds he made, the way he reacted: enthusiastic, uninhibited, reckless. It was beyond addictive. It was unlike anything Verseus had ever experienced before. Perhaps in being with a human, he had finally found his match.

Or perhaps it was just _this_ human.

Verseus set his book aside – not that he had advanced the story by even one word while wading through his thoughts and memories – and watched Harry sleep for a moment. In just five short days, Harry had somehow become less of a visitor and more a fixture of Verseus’ life, and that was dangerous thinking. Harry was to be returning to his planet soon; it would not do to get too attached. Yet Verseus could not help himself.

He had first seen Harry as a sort of salvation: a way to start over, to be who _he_ chose to be. There was also a purity there in Harry’s interest; he was not trying to gain anything by their association. That alone was novel enough. But Verseus had also glimpsed the emotional depths that simmered below Harry’s surface, in eyes that had seen way too much of life at such a young age. Verseus wondered what his life had been like; what he had endured.

After the first two nights on Norrath, Harry had relaxed a great deal, enough that he began sleeping soundly throughout the night. Verseus was pleased he could provide that sense of safety and security for Harry. Asra, too.

As though on command, Asra hopped down from his cushions and approached the bed. He put his two front paws on the edge, his eyes pleading. Verseus nodded and patted the bed coverings in invitation. However, instead of settling down by Verseus, Asra went right to Harry and curled up next to his body.

Verseus considered the pair of them for a moment, then smiled fondly.

 _My two strays_.

He was pretty sure his mother would have a fit if she knew who was presently in his bed. An animal was one thing, but Harry… He was a human. He was from another planet. And he was a _he_.

Had his mother ever suspected his true preferences? Would she care? It was more likely she would refuse to acknowledge it by selecting a suitable woman for him, just as she had his childhood friends. Perpetuating a bloodline cared not if you were romantically attracted to women. It was simply a duty. And to his mother, duty was paramount.

But duty or not, there was one thing Verseus was certain of: if he ever did decide to bring a child into this world, it would be on his own terms. He would do so without sacrificing who he was, or what he believed in.

And he would do so with a man by his side.

#

Verseus awoke a second time to the sensation of Asra licking his toes. He was surprised he had fallen back asleep; normally he only slept once per night, but he supposed the storm had interrupted his typical pattern. It was also much later in the morning than he had anticipated. From what he could see of the sun’s position in the hallway, they would be expected in Paineel soon.

After using the bath, Verseus came back into the bedroom to see Harry lying half on his stomach, his bare back exposed. Verseus climbed onto the bed on his hands and knees and hovered over Harry’s sleeping form. Lowering his head, he let his wet hair tickle down Harry’s back, grinning at the way Harry startled awake, squeaking at the cool water.

Harry rolled over within the cage of Verseus’ arms and grinned up at him, his features soft with sleep. They locked eyes for a moment before Harry reached up and slid the pieces of hair that had fallen over Verseus’ forehead back into place. Verseus shook his head again, dislodging his hair and sprinkling more water. Harry gasped with laughter, attempting to shield himself with his arms.

Verseus laughed as well, then dropped to his side, propping himself on an elbow. It did not take long for Harry to notice his state of undress. A shy smile was all the warning Verseus got before Harry reached out to feel the bare skin along Verseus’ abdomen, the touch light and almost ticklish, before slowly working a finger underneath the edge of the towel that was secured around Verseus’ waist.

“Is this okay? Can I…?”

Verseus put a hand over Harry’s. “Would you make this same decision if you were returning to your planet today?”

Harry did not hesitate for even a moment. “Absolutely.” But he still looked uncertain, as though he had answered too quickly or revealed too much. “Why?”

“I did not wish to tempt you into making a decision you would not normally make.”

“I’ve wanted to do this for the last four days! Wait, is that why you kept stopping us at just kissing?”

“Yes. I did not want to take advantage of you or your situation, no matter how much I may desire you.”

“You’re not. You wouldn’t have.” Harry stopped, a blush staining his cheeks. “You desire me?”

“Very much so. But it was important that you were the one to initiate.”

“I thought I had!”

“With words, not hormones,” Verseus teased, tapping the end of Harry’s nose. Harry blushed again.

“Okay, that’s fair,” he said. “But it’s just – it’s so hard to be around you and not want to… experience more. Especially after that first night.”

Pleased, Verseus grinned. “Then it is up to you what comes next.”

In answer, Harry’s face split into a beatific smile, his eyes sparkling. Verseus loved the green of his eyes: deep and jewel-bright, and very, very compelling. It was such an unusual color for a human, at least on Norrath. Perhaps it was more common on Harry’s planet; he had not asked. Nevertheless, they had enchanted Verseus completely.

Harry pushed him down onto the bed, though the gesture seemed only half-realized: confident in his interest, insecure in his experience. Verseus remembered being there himself, almost seven seasons ago now, and also understood what Calarel must have felt that first time with him. The desire and anticipation rolling off of Harry was intoxicating and Verseus was very glad he would not have to resist again.

Harry paused. “Wait, how long do we have before we need to leave for Paineel?”

“Less than one hour, perhaps.”

Harry gave a little laugh. “I think you overestimate my abilities here.”

“We have time.” Verseus pulled Harry in for a soft kiss. “I cannot imagine I will find you lacking.”

There was certainly nothing lacking in a physical sense. Harry’s slim, compact body was very appealing: toned and strong, with dark hair in all the right places. He was dressed in only his undergarments, which outlined his anatomy well – especially now, when his interest was obvious. Verseus itched to touch him, but also wanted to give Harry this chance to explore. Instead, he made himself comfortable, folding his arms underneath his head.

“Uma yassen amin vee' lle merna.”

Harry looked up, seeming both interested and confused. It was not Koada’Dal words for the sake of titillation, however – Verseus _wanted_ Harry to understand. “It means ‘do with me as you wish.’”

He watched something ignite in Harry’s eyes, then – an eagerness, a relief – and Harry instantly reached for the towel. Slipping the knot free, he flung the two halves wide, exposing Verseus before him for the first time. Harry’s eyes widened a bit as he looked his fill.

“I wish… to feel you,” Harry said quietly, as though he would ruin the moment by speaking full volume. Tentatively, he slid his palms up Verseus’ thighs, then wrapped a hand around Verseus’ growing erection. It was endearing how hard Harry was concentrating on that simple gesture, his lower lip drawn in under his teeth.

“I also wish to do _this_ ,” Harry breathed, leaning over and licking a wet stripe up Verseus’ cock. Verseus knew first times could be a bit clumsy, but could also tell Harry’s eagerness would make up for any inexperience – especially when his lips closed around the head and he took in as much length as he could. Verseus arched with a gasp and closed his eyes, drifting on the drug of Harry’s scent and the electricity of his touch.

Afterwards, he joined Harry in the bath. He intended only a quick rinse for himself, but decided, as long as he was there, that it would be prudent to help Harry relieve himself of his own erection. It did not take long.

What it did do, however, is ignite a fierce need within Verseus.

He wanted more, all of Harry, everything.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> [1] You are safe.


	8. Chapter 8

Harry and Verseus were to be meeting the others at a research library located in the heart of Paineel. Hermione would be escorted by Korrashu; Nilul had gone ahead on her own. Nori and Kusadi planned to join them later, once the initial meeting had taken place. Harry was glad it was just he and Verseus for now – he wanted more alone time before the topic of returning home once again consumed his every waking minute.

Verseus explained that travel to Paineel would involve using a transport station as well as a flight on Radjur, and Harry was excited about all of it. It would be the first new thing he’d seen in days, and only his second proper city. Frankly, excitement didn’t really cover it.

They were to start from the guild hall. This time, Harry stepped up to Verseus and snuggled in close, locking his wrists in back as he had several times before. He remembered feeling nervous and awkward that first time, but now it just felt familiar, almost cozy. He supposed that was bound to happen after you’d had the other person’s cock in your mouth. Harry flushed a bit at the memory. He could hardly believe that had happened less than an hour ago.

Verseus began tapping the air in front of him. Whatever it was was still invisible to Harry, but Verseus had described it early on as a holographic console that his magic activated after touching a portal. It opened a map of Norrath and highlighted other portals he could travel to. Harry wished he had something like that for Apparating on Earth. Concentrating on a destination while crossing his fingers and hoping he wasn’t about to splinch himself was not usually the most comforting approach.

When the blackness lifted and Harry could see again, he noticed they were standing beneath a familiar towering structure with three claw-like pieces rising from the ground. The first time he’d seen one, he had just arrived on Norrath. Harry blinked and looked around, wondering if they were somehow back in the Commonlands. But instead of the vast savanna he expected, this place was quite secluded and lush with greenery. The dense knot of trees surrounding them were tall, mature and flowering – and they smelled amazing. The sun was shining and the air was warmer and more humid here, reminiscent of summer. Quite a change from the wintery landscape of New Halas. Harry turned back to the structure behind them and stared up at it.

“What are these things?” he asked.

“That is an Ulteran spire.”

“And they’re transportation stations or something?”

“Yes. They form a network across Norrath.” Verseus tipped his head slightly, seeming to realize something. “This is not the first one you have seen.” Harry shook his head. “Of course – the Commonlands, the day you arrived.” Harry nodded with a laugh.

“We didn’t know what it was, though,” he said. “We guessed it was how we traveled here, but also worried it would just vaporize us if we got too close.”

Verseus grinned. “No, for you it would merely seem inert since you do not possess Norrathian magic.”

“Like everything else,” Harry said, pouting a bit. Verseus reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers.

“Then let me show you things that do not require magic to explore.”

From behind Verseus, a familiar white pegasus appeared. How Radjur could keep appearing like that, Harry had no idea. Maybe horses could Apparate here?

Verseus merely smiled and gestured in invitation towards Radjur’s saddle. “Paineel awaits,” he said.

#

Harry circled his arms a little tighter around Verseus’ midsection, his chin resting on a metal-clad shoulder, as they flew up and out of the copse of trees. They cleared the edge of bluff upon which they’d arrived, flew across some arid lands dotted with a curious arrangement of stone column monuments, then began to descend into a horseshoe-shaped area in the lower cliffs. That’s when Harry got his first glimpse of Paineel.

The city of marble was built right into the face of the dark, jagged rock. It was small, but no less majestic. Some of the buildings had towering facades; others were little more than ornate doorways protruding from the rock. Ambered glass windows were held in decorative, wrought iron frames, while seemingly every edge, corner and wall was accentuated with elegant black and gold lines. Even the walkways and ramps seemed to be gilded along the edges, and included tasteful landscaping of small shrubs in matching marble planters.

When they landed, a figure was waiting to greet them. The Erudite wore a deep purple robe with a filigree pattern woven throughout, and he stood with his hands clasped in front of him.

“Master Ilönen,” the Erudite said, bowing. “It is a pleasure to see you in Paineel again.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Verseus said in reply, offering a matching bow.

The Erudite turned to Harry, an expectant look on his face. “Master…?”

“Potter,” Harry said, then quickly mimicked Verseus’ gesture and bowed slightly.

“Master Potter,” the Erudite addressed Harry, returning his bow. “Welcome to Paineel.”

It was a lot of bowing for Harry’s tastes, but also kind of interesting. Lots of things were more formal on Norrath, or at least more formal than the Wizarding world he was used to. He supposed there were places on Earth that were like this, that stood on ceremony, but he wondered how different things might be on Earth if more cultures observed this type of polite, respectful interaction.

“Nilul informed us of your plight. We are pleased you came to us to assist in the research. It is important that you remain at hand during this process, so we have set up guest quarters to accommodate a two week stay. I must remain here, but I trust you know the way.”

Verseus offered a gracious nod in response and motioned for Harry to follow. While they walked, Harry leaned in closer so he could keep his voice low.

“We have to be here for two _weeks_? What is there to do?”

Verseus grinned, his eyes making a quick sweep of Harry’s body. “You, perhaps.”

Harry nearly tripped going up the ramp. Secretly, he was delighted by the dorky joke, but he also couldn’t stop his heart from racing when Verseus took his hand and pulled him in what he assumed was the direction of the guest quarters.

“What – you mean _now_?”

Verseus laughed, collecting Harry in a half-embrace. “No. First we must go find Nilul. You are to be meeting with the Chronomancers.”

Harry might have felt foolish for his assumption – that is, until Verseus’ body pressed close to his side, a pair of warm lips brushed his cheek, and he whispered, “I will show you the guest quarters later.”

#

They had barely stepped foot inside the building entrance, joining Hermione and Korrashu at a long, narrow table, when Nilul turned to them all and blurted, “I have remembered now. It watches the stars and planets from the base of the glass eye in Maj’Dul.”

Both Harry and Hermione turned a questioning look on Korrashu, who was seated closest.

“It appears our query has finished,” Korrashu said with a chuckle. “That symbol on the end of the baton, the open circle with the squiggly line through it, was something Nilul had seen before but couldn’t remember where. She has just remembered. It appears we will find that symbol on the base of the telescope in Maj’Dul – which, if I could hazard a guess – is probably located at the Tower of the Moon observatory.”

Harry’s mouth dropped open. “You got all of _that_ from what she said?”

“After fifty years, one picks up a thing or two,” Korrashu said, smiling.

Harry glanced over at Hermione. They had been friends for almost eight years now and Harry had certainly picked up a thing or two. Or twenty. He could only imagine what it would be like after fifty years – even if he was sure he’d never be as good at translating Hermione as Korrashu was for Nilul.

“Is it called a year or a season here?” Hermione asked. “I’ve heard both.”

“It depends,” Korrashu said. “Elves hold fast to their tradition of seasons and cycles, something which actually predates us all, but most everyone else uses years and months. With a few exceptions, the terms are fairly interchangeable on Norrath.”

Nilul turned to Verseus. “Take Korrashu with you to Maj’Dul to confirm my recollection. If I am correct, ask the custodians of the observatory for any books on its history.”

Verseus accepted his marching orders without issue, nodding at both Nilul and Korrashu, but a sliver of panic shot through Harry. _No!_ He didn’t want Verseus to go, but he also didn’t want to seem immature about it. Harry followed when Verseus got up from the table.

“Do you have to go?” he asked, once he had Verseus to himself.

“Do not worry. I have been to Maj’Dul many times.”

“But we’ve only just arrived in Paineel.”

“Yes, but this is also important. It could reveal more about your device.”

“Why can’t I go with you, then?”

“The city is not safe for you.”

Harry was getting really tired of hearing that. He knew most of Norrath probably wasn’t safe for him, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating. Aside from arriving in Paineel just now, his stay on this planet had mostly consisted of moving from the indoors of one building to the indoors of another (and even here they were indoors again). Without magic to protect himself, he knew he was likely just a liability, but he was really interested in Norrath and wanted to see more of it. He also wasn’t used to sitting on the sidelines – he wanted to help if he could.

And he didn’t want Verseus to leave.

As always, Verseus seemed to read Harry’s feelings right from his face. He stepped closer. “I am sorry that I cannot take you with me this time. I promise, I will show you more of my world, and soon.”

Harry nodded, but the promise did little to change his mood, or the situation, right now.

“You must remain here to meet with the Chronomancers,” Verseus reminded him. “They will want to talk with you soon. Nilul will escort you.”

“I know.” Harry found himself idly tracing a finger along the top of Verseus’ belt. He knew he had to swallow his fear, but it was hard – this would be the first time in almost a week that he wouldn’t be in Verseus’ presence. For better or worse, Harry had grown to depend on that constant, emotionally and otherwise. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if Verseus didn’t come back.

Verseus pulled Harry behind a large marble column, then leaned down and captured Harry’s mouth in a rather demanding kiss. Harry knew Verseus was trying to distract him, to take the sting out of the situation (and was annoyed to discover it was working). He flung his arms around Verseus’ neck and kissed back with gusto, though, a small part of him hoping it would be enough to change Verseus’ mind – either for him to send someone else in his stead, or to request that Harry accompany him after all.

But no such luck. Verseus merely gathered him into a hug afterwards and whispered next to his ear, “Behave while I am gone.” His tone was amused and affectionate, and Harry couldn’t help but laugh. Verseus smiled, that familiar tenderness in his gaze, and he briefly cupped Harry’s cheek with a hand.

Verseus stepped away and went to join Korrashu. Picking up his shield, Verseus attached it to the holder on his back, then slid his sword into the sheath at his hip. Harry ignored the nerves and uncertainty he felt at watching Verseus go off on a quest without him. It hadn’t sounded dangerous – they were just going to an observatory, right? – but Verseus had said the city wasn’t safe for Harry. Was it just because he didn’t have his magic?

Before long, the doors opened and sunshine streamed in, silhouetting the outlines of two winged horses waiting outside, their wings already unfurled and front legs pawing at the ground. The light bounced off the polished marble floor, highlighting the two figures standing in the doorway. Harry blinked. Was it stupid to think that Verseus glowed? It sure sounded stupid to Harry, but he couldn’t help it: all that pale skin, white-blonde hair, and polished, ivory armor meant the light seemed to radiate off of him. Maybe it was an attribute of high elves? Or maybe Harry needed to stop acting like a silly teenager with a crush.

The large doors closed with a clang, and Harry jumped. That sounded more final than he wanted to think about. He’d been so singularly focused on Verseus that he hadn’t even noticed Hermione and Nilul had joined him.

He turned to Nilul. “Why couldn’t I go with them?”

“Maj’Dul is a dangerous and contested city, ruled by three warring factions of the Dervish people.”

“So why is it safe for Verseus to go?”

“Diplomatic immunity.”

Harry shared a confused look with Hermione. As usual, he had more questions than answers when talking to Nilul, but didn’t get a chance to clarify because a figure approached them from an adjoining room. It was another Erudite, this one female. She was bald and her gray skin had olive undertones, like Nilul’s. She had two of those glowing glyphs on her face: one in the center of her forehead, the other underneath her right eye. Hers were yellow, though, whereas Nilul’s were green. Once again, Harry wondered what they were all about.

“Master Potter, Madam Granger,” the Erudite said as she bowed formally to each of them. “We are ready for you now. This way, please.”

Nilul’s head turned sharply in the direction of Hermione. “ _Granger?_ As in Hector Dagworth-Granger?” There was an urgency to her voice that Harry didn’t understand.

Hermione just blinked, startled. “Umm, I’m not sure. Who is Hector? Does he live here?”

But Nilul was already lost in thought, her eyes distant and unfocused. That vast catalog in her brain was probably already spinning with some other bloody query. Harry sighed.

“Come on,” he said, tugging Hermione’s sleeve, but she kept glancing over her shoulder at Nilul as they walked, deep in thought herself.

#

Harry and Hermione were led through a cavernous library and into a side chamber, a cozy room with a large, round table in the center. Bookcases dotted the walls, though most were barely half full. Harry guessed this was more of a research room, the place where you brought the books you wanted to look through. The woman guiding them gestured for them to take a seat.

Soon after, three other Erudites entered the room, and she introduced them in turn. “Tollarin, our Chief Chronomancer; Akila, our Assistant Chronomancer; Lurien, our Chief Historian.” Then she introduced Harry and Hermione to the three researchers and bowed herself out.

As the Erudites took seats across from them, Harry sized them up. He was impressed that their situation warranted such high-ranking assistance. All three men were bald and had the characteristic dark grey skin, though none had the glyphs. Tollarin wore a white robe embroidered with a fancy, woven pattern down the front in threads of purple and bronze. Akila also wore a white robe, but his did not have any ornamentation. Lurien had on a light blue robe with a black collar and cuffs. Harry thought it was interesting that all Erudites so far – except Nilul – seemed to wear these floor-length robes, but that the colors and styles varied, almost like a uniform, something that identified their role or area of expertise. They strongly reminded Harry of religious vestments. Then again, from everything he had learned so far about Erudites, he supposed academic study and research _was_ probably a religion to them.

Tollarin spoke first. “It is tradition among Erudites to allow inquiry prior to the start of a formal meeting. Before we begin with our purpose here, I invite each of you to ask a question. You must have many things you would like to know about Norrath.”

Harry almost laughed at the delight on Hermione’s face. Not for the first time, he thought she could live quite happily among this knowledge-seeking race. Sure enough, she jumped right in.

“Is there a skill or type of magic on Norrath that would allow someone to read my mind – specifically, my memories? When we found this device” – she set it on the table in front of her – “there was also a handwritten journal and some star maps with it. I looked at both items briefly, and was wondering if they might contain crucial information. If someone were able to see my memory of them, perhaps they could translate what I saw.”

All three researchers eyed the device for a moment, but Akila and Lurien stayed silent, seeming keen to defer to Tollarin on this.

“Only an enchanter could manage that,” he said. “I am not sure if their magic is able to target a particular memory, but it is an intriguing theory – one that bears further consideration.”

“Could Nilul do it?” Hermione asked.

Tollarin shook his head. “Nilul may be a lot of things, but an enchanter she is not. You would need an Illusionist or a Coercer. If one is able to read your memory successfully, a spell could be cast to project that image for the rest of us to see.”

Hermione looked a little nervous about that, which was understandable – as someone who’d _had_ others poking around in his head, Harry could attest to the fact that it wasn’t always a pleasant experience. Nor could you control what the other person saw unless you were a skilled Occlumens. Even if Hermione had somehow developed that skill without him knowing, he wasn’t sure if it would matter against Norrathian magic. Still, it was a brilliant idea. And, it seemed, one Hermione intended to pursue later, if the determined set to her jaw was anything to go by.

When it was Harry’s turn, he knew exactly what he wanted to ask. Thinking back to the Erudite woman Kusadi had cut down with his magic, he asked, “Can all of you regenerate?”

Hermione looked over at the question, but Harry kept his gaze on their hosts. Tollarin’s eyes slowly swiveled to meet Harry’s, a quizzical pinch to his brows. “Pardon me?”

Harry cleared his throat. “Er, sorry, I was just wondering if all Erudites can regenerate. If they die, I mean.”

Tollarin blinked. The only other indication Harry had that his question was unusual was because the other two Erudites had stopped shuffling their papers to listen. “What makes you ask such a question?”

Harry glanced over at Hermione. Surprisingly, she wasn’t giving him a look of caution or some gesture to indicate he should stop. If anything, she looked curious as well. He turned back to the three researchers.

“When I first arrived, I accidentally transported myself to a Djinn palace. There was an Erudite there in a gray robe and she was studying parchments and books. She looked just like your researchers here. When someone from the guild came to get me, he ended up... dispatching her. When I asked about it, he told me not to worry because she would regenerate.”

Before Harry was even done with his tale, he could see Tollarin nodding his head. “Yes, you are speaking of Alimaja. I am familiar with this tale. Alimaja died long ago, but refused to leave this plane and has instead haunted the Shimmering Citadel for centuries – that is the Djinn palace you referenced. She no longer has a body, but returned as a spiritual essence, corporeal enough to interact with our research materials and to continue her study. Corporeal enough to harm those who seek to intrude upon or disrupt her from her work.”

“So she could have physically hurt me, then?”

“Yes.”

“But how, if she doesn’t have a body?”

“Spells. Strength of will is enough to wield energy, which is all magic is.”

Harry swallowed, now doubly glad for the caution he took that day. On Earth, witches and wizards usually needed a wand in order to channel their magic, but there were also those who could do so nonverbally or wandless. Was that what Tollarin was referring to? On Norrath, casters didn’t appear to need a wand, so it seemed quite possible that a spirit who was little more than a corporeal-looking ghost could still be lethal.

“What happens when she regenerates?”

“I do not know from personal observation,” Tollarin said, “but I have heard she becomes angry, even violent. The process of regeneration is not immediate. However, without the ability to track time in any real sense, she would perceive that delay as wasteful and intrusive. It is generally not advisable to get in the way of an Erudite’s research.”

Once again, Harry was relieved Kusadi had rescued him when he did. Not that he’d ever tell the man that.

Akila leaned forward. “We thank you for your questions,” he said with a slight bow of his head. “We are now ready to hear the explanation of the events that brought you here.”

Harry sat up straighter in his chair and gestured at Hermione to start, figuring he’d just jump in if needed. Hermione launched into the retelling of their story, this time to the group seated opposite them, all of whom were listening intently and scribbling notes at different intervals – likely as their story touched upon each of the three researchers’ areas of interest or expertise. When they had finished, Tollarin sought to clarify one point.

“You did not actively configure the device?”

“No,” Harry said, “I was just holding it when the dials started to move on their own.”

“Then it is likely you connected with a time road.”

“Is that the same as a portal?” Harry asked.

“Similar,” Tollarin confirmed. “A time road is a fixed intersteller route that connects two locations, typically planets. A portal could describe any number of inter- or intra-steller passageways.”

Hermione leaned forward. “What galaxy is Norrath in?” she asked. It was Akila who answered.

“Ro. Though I suspect that will mean as much to you as your galaxy name would to us. There is no common standard for charting the stars. You would base yours from your perspective and understanding of science, which may be quite different than ours.”

Hermione nodded, though it seemed mainly to herself. “I only wondered because it seems like we’ve traversed a great distance, though it didn’t feel like we were in the time road for very long.”

“Correct. If it was indeed a time road, travel would have been instantaneous.”

“Good,” Hermione said, relief in her voice. “If it didn’t take us very long to get here, then it hasn’t been that long for everyone at home, either.”

“Ah,” Tollarin said. “You rely on flawed logic. The length of time that has passed on your planet is unknowable.”

Harry and Hermione shared a confused look. “What do you mean? We’ve been here for five days. Wouldn’t that be five days on our planet, too?” Hermione asked.

“There is no way to know for certain. I would make no such assumption.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Hermione said.

Tollarin smiled benignly. “We do not know the precise location of your planet or galaxy. As such, we do not know if time moves faster or slower for you compared to Norrath. Five minutes here could be five seconds on your planet, or it could be five years. Without exact coordinates or a marker to hold your time, we could not even begin to guess.”

It was pretty much Harry’s worst nightmare. If Tollarin was right, there was no way to know how long they’d been gone from Earth, in Earth terms. Hopefully it had only been a few seconds, for the alternative didn’t bear thinking about. Except now that it had been said, he could scarcely think of anything else. _Years._ That word lay heavy with dread in his heart. He thought about what being gone for years would have put everyone through, from the moment he and Hermione went missing, to being presumed dead, or worse…

Hermione must have seen something in his reaction. “Don’t go there, Harry. Let’s just focus on getting home. That’s the best thing we can do right now.”

He nodded, but still grit his teeth. He hated making others worry about him. And despite the fact he was really enjoying himself on Norrath so far, he wasn’t ready to write off never going home again.

“Do you think one of the functions of this device is to hold our ‘when’?” Hermione asked the three researchers.

Tollarin nodded. “If this device was responsible for your transport, then yes, some part of it would have to hold the time. However, what is problematic is that you brought the device with you. We do not need to mark the time of your destination, only your origin.”

“But if this activated the time road, how would we have been able to travel here without it?”

“Time roads only require activation. Once open, you may travel freely without any device,” Akila said.

“If we’d left this device on our planet, what would we use to connect to it from here?”

“Presumably, its twin,” Akila offered. “Marking your time is also important because the time stream favors returning travelers close to when they left. Less chance of a paradox.”

“Paradox?” Hermione said.

“Two of you existing in any one time,” Tollarin clarified.

It immediately reminded Harry of Hermione’s Time-Turner in third year, and how strange it had been seeing another one of himself running around. It also brought to mind Dumbledore’s warning about it, something that Harry will probably never forget: _Mysterious thing, time. Powerful, and when meddled with, dangerous._

“As it is now,” Akila was saying, “I fear any readings we might extract from the device will be rendered invalid due to its present location. But rest assured, we will do all we can to work around this fact.”

Harry refrained from rolling his eyes with great effort. He thought the whole point of coming to see the Chronomancers was because they would have the answers?

“I believe we have what we need for now,” Tollarin said, nodding to his two colleagues. “I will have Lurien show you out. Please, be comfortable in Paineel, and I will summon you again if more information is needed.”

With that, Tollarin stood and bowed to them, then gathered up his parchments and books and retreated from the room, Akila following in his wake. Lurien stood as well, gesturing for Harry and Hermione to precede him. There was something about his quiet sigh that reinforced how ridiculous their situation was. The research hadn’t even started yet, and already Harry knew it was a lost cause.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):
> 
> Tollarin = toe LAR in  
> Akila = ah KEE luh  
> Lurien = LURE ee in


	9. Chapter 9

**DAY 6** **–** **Morning**

Harry was sprawled on the bed in his guest quarters, staring up at the ceiling, indulging his thoughts in yet another round of feverish spinning. Not that he’d really had a choice in the matter – he’d already been awake most of the night worrying. And thinking. And worrying and thinking some more. A few times he even considered going to find Hermione, but he wasn’t ready to explain the source of his agitation just yet and wouldn’t want her lecture anyway.

At least he’d learned she had been keeping busy. The previous night at dinner, without the distraction of Verseus next to him, Harry had been able to catch up properly with his friend for the first time since they’d arrived. Apparently, he’d missed a lot over the last several days.

Nilul had invited Hermione to help research at the Library of Erudin, the largest and most comprehensive library on the planet. However, since so few of the books in residence were written in Common, Nilul had fashioned some tinkered spectacles (more like goggles, Hermione’d said) that translated the texts as she read. Since the goggles were imbued with self-directing magic, the wearer did not need to possess their own magic in order to make them work. There were even books in Draconic Hermione had been able to read, little though it helped their current predicament. If only they’d brought that journal with them…

When Harry had asked about Hermione’s idea to have someone lift those remembered visuals from her mind, she indicated Nilul knew an Illusionist – a fellow guild member, actually – and that they’d tried it. Strangely enough, Hermione didn’t elaborate. Harry wondered if she was just frustrated because it hadn’t gone well or didn’t work as she suspected. He assumed if it had revealed something useful, she would have told him, but before he could ask, she once again regaled him with stories of the legend and lore of Norrath. Her eyes lit up at how fascinating she found the history, at descriptions of the library itself (including repeated urgings that Harry needed to see it as well), and at how much she was looking forward to visiting Kerra Isle with Korrashu during their stay in Paineel, meeting others of his species and learning about his tribal culture.

Everything she was doing, it all sounded interesting to Harry – in an abstract sort of way. But he was happy to be preoccupied on a more personal level, flexing his own choices. He’d scarcely had an opportunity in his eighteen years to indulge that type of exploration, so until he was convinced this wasn’t all just a crazy fever dream he would eventually wake from, he was going to take full advantage of it and enjoy himself.

Harry’s thoughts once again returned to the source of his enjoyment.

Verseus had been gone since yesterday, on a mission to Maj’Dul with Korrashu. Harry had neglected to ask how long it would take, but he’d assumed that since travel on Norrath was mostly instantaneous, a few hours should be sufficient. Then again, he knew nothing of this world, nor the place they had been sent. Maybe it would take days? That morose thought did nothing to help his brain loop.

His stomach growled. Perhaps it would distract him if he went in search of breakfast. He sat up in bed just as a knock sounded at his door. Hermione, probably.

But when he padded across the room and swung it open, his mouth dropped in surprise.

Not Hermione. _Verseus_.

Harry’s heart leapt with relief and excitement. A quick scan revealed everything to be in order: no scratches, blood or missing limbs. Harry let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Only then did he notice Verseus was carrying something: a plate. A steaming plate. With food. It coaxed another growl out of his stomach.

“I am very sorry that I was not here with you yesterday, or last night,” Verseus said. “But I have brought you breakfast.”

Harry took the plate and stared at it for a moment before setting it down on a small table near the door. “Thank you, I… I was just about to go get some.” He still felt a bit dazed. _He_ _’_ _s back. Verseus is back._ “You’re okay,” he said aloud, looking Verseus over again. Something seemed to snap in him then, like a piece of his world fitting back into place, and he yanked Verseus into the room and slammed the door shut with his foot. He threw his arms around Verseus’ neck and kissed him hard. “You’re okay,” he said again, peppering kisses against Verseus’ lips.

Verseus pulled back, mapping Harry’s face with his eyes. “You were really concerned.”

“Yes!” Harry said, his breathing uneven. “I don’t know a lot about your planet. I didn’t know if you were in danger, I didn’t know how long you would be gone—”

Verseus gathered Harry close, one arm snug around his back, the other cradling the back of his head. Harry felt himself relax by degrees as he stood in the safety and reassurance of that embrace, feeling cool metal against his face and Verseus’ lips against his hair. It was some minutes before his breathing returned to normal.

Harry eased out of Verseus’ arms. He hadn’t realized how worked up he’d become while fretting overnight, but he suddenly felt silly for being so worried. He shook his head, as though that simple gesture could somehow reset everything back to normal, to before he’d freaked out.

Thankfully, Verseus was gracious enough to let the moment pass without comment. Instead, he picked up the plate of food and offered it once again. “Breakfast.”

Harry accepted it eagerly this time and went to sit on the bed, tucking in immediately. He wasn’t sure he could identify most of what was on the plate, but he tried everything and found it sufficiently edible. Perhaps he really had become spoiled by Verseus’ cooking. Either that, or he simply preferred Elven food to Erudite food.

When he finished eating, he set the plate aside. He belatedly realized Verseus had removed his armor while Harry’d been eating and was wearing only the lightweight trousers that went underneath – a move of comfort, though, not seduction. Verseus sat down next to him on the bed.

“Well, was the symbol where Nilul said it would be?” Harry asked.

“Yes,” said Verseus. “We brought back some books for her to look through.”

“So… that’s it?” Harry wrinkled his nose, wondering what the point of it all was. Verseus shrugged.

“It was a symbol. The custodian of the library did not know what it meant. He thought it stood for the Tower of the Moon, or perhaps the mark of whoever crafted the telescope.”

“Great, so another dead end.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Verseus countered. “Did your meeting with the Erudites go well?”

“Fine, I guess.” Harry shrugged. “I’m not convinced they’ll be able to help, either, but we’ll see.”

“We will keep searching, for as long as it takes.” Verseus traced his fingertips across the top of Harry’s hand, where it was pressed into the duvet. “In the meantime, I shall keep you company.”

Harry made a show of glancing down at his hand, then grinned. “This is your defintion of ‘company’?”

Verseus matched the grin. “One definition. I have others.”

Harry shook his head in disbelief, a small laugh escaping.

“What is it?” Verseus asked.

“Nothing. It’s dumb.”

Verseus moved closer. “Tell me,” he said softly.

Harry sobered a bit and flipped his hand over so he could lace his fingers with Verseus’. “It’s just… sometimes I can’t believe I’m here with you. That you’re… real.”

“Is this your book theory again?”

Harry smiled. “No. Well, sort of, but not the way you think. It’s just that on my planet, high elves only exist in our books and films.”

“We have books about high elves as well.”

“Yeah, but that’s different. High elves exist here, so it makes sense someone would write about them. Until I arrived on Norrath, I thought they were just a made-up thing.”

“And now?” Verseus’ eyes warmed.

Harry leaned forward, closing the distance between their faces. “Real.” He placed a soft kiss on Verseus’ lips. “Very real.” He kissed Verseus again. “Unbelievably real.”

Except one other thing didn’t match up.

“Don’t most high elves have long hair?”

Verseus frowned, looking like he would rather keep kissing instead. “What makes you ask that?”

“High elves tend to be portrayed in our books and films as all having long, silky hair.”

“More fantasy?” Verseus laughed, and Harry just grinned sheepishly. “Some in my family have long hair. Most elves wear it to their shoulders. I prefer it short – more practical for fighting.”

“Easier to tangle my fingers in, too…”

Verseus was clearly happy to be returning to the proceedings. “If you like.” His eyes mapped Harry’s face while Harry slid his fingers into those white-blonde locks. As he did so, he brushed against the gold metal clasp that hung in front of Verseus’ left ear. He’d been meaning to ask about it for days but kept getting distracted. His fingers traced the engravings of what he assumed were Elvish symbols.

“What is this?” Harry asked.

Verseus’ expression clouded, and Harry instantly regretted his curiosity. He was about to call off his question when Verseus spoke.

“It is… a family heirloom. A gift from my father.”

Sensing there were some politics between him and his family, Harry merely nodded.

“Why do you wear these?” Verseus asked, referring to Harry’s glasses. It was obvious he was trying to draw attention away from himself and the clasp in his hair, but Harry didn’t mind.

“They fix my vision, so I can see things in focus.”

“Why not fix your eyes with magic? Do you have that capability on your planet?”

“I think so, but I haven’t really had time to explore it yet.”

Verseus nodded. “If you lived here, you would have to fix your eyes. It would be too dangerous to wear glasses in a fight, especially if you would be at a disadvantage without them.”

Harry’s stomach did a little hopeful flip at the mention of living on Norrath. _If only._ These last few days especially, he had really begun to warm to the idea. But what was he going to do once his Norrathian friends figured out a way to send him back home? _Without_ Verseus?

He refused to think about that right now. Instead, Harry stretched back onto the bed, dragging Verseus with him. It was time for a distraction – one in the exact size and shape of this elf.

“Say something in your language,” Harry said. “I like how it sounds.”

Verseus smiled and considered for a moment. “Mani lle ve' amin quenaya en’? Tanya amin mainka naa y' Nim'ohtar ar' amin mela deasa?” [1] Harry closed his eyes to better luxuriate in it, but soon felt Verseus close to his ear, warm lips tickling along its outer shell. “Ri' uma amin nyara lle sut vanima amin nowa lle naa?” [2]

At Harry’s shiver, Verseus began nibbling an ear, kissing down to the lobe, then made a breathy little noise. “Your ears are very small.”

Harry turned his head to look at Verseus, worried that his little human ears were off-putting somehow, but the keen gaze he met stopped him. “Oh,” Harry said, blushing slightly. “You mean you like them?”

“Very much so,” Verseus confirmed. “They are – how would you say?” He mimed a facial expression and gesture that Harry thought he understood.

“Cute?” Harry suggested.

“Yes – cute.” The affection was much more evident in Verseus’ tone now that Harry knew to listen for it. Verseus nuzzled his nose against the base of Harry’s ear, then trailed his lips down the edge of Harry’s jaw and back up to his ear again. “Are they sensitive?”

“A bit. Are yours?” As Harry said this, he reached a hand up to trace the shape of one of those pointed ears.

Verseus closed his eyes for a moment at the touch. “Yes.” He opened his eyes, seeking out Harry’s. “Very.”

Harry grinned and then did something he’d wanted to do since the moment he’d laid eyes on those ears. Tracing the shape with his tongue this time, Harry licked along the upper edge all the way to the pointed tip, exploring his apparent, new-found fetish. Verseus went still, tense with the effort of not moving and grunted softly, clearly enjoying the sensation but seeming to temper his reaction. That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all.

“No, don’t hold back,” Harry urged.

“The feeling is very intense. I did not wish to startle you with my reaction.”

“But you like it?” Harry confirmed, flicking his tongue against the tip again.

Verseus closed his eyes, his grip on Harry tightening. “Yes,” he uttered, opening his eyes to look down at Harry’s face, and then to his lips. “But for now, I merely wish to kiss you.”

Harry was really starting to appreciate the bluntness of elves. “Saesa,” he murmured, proud of himself for remembering how to say _please_ in Koada’Dal. He rolled himself to a slightly better angle in anticipation of a pair of lips, but then noticed Verseus had stopped and was staring at him, the heat flaring in his eyes again.

“You sound very sexy like that. Shall I teach you more of my language?”

“Sure – but maybe later?” Harry said, desperate to feel those lips on his. He leaned up and pressed his mouth against Verseus’, initiating a kiss. He wasn’t usually this pushy, but he supposed being so far away from home, with no guarantee of ever returning (and being alone last night with nothing but his crazy-making thoughts for company), was making him feel a bit more reckless and cavalier than usual. Ever since he’d arrived on Norrath, he’d had this urge to be with someone, to be reassured there would be something here for him should he have to stay. He supposed he also liked the feeling of security he got from being around Verseus. It helped to calm the storm of uncertainty he felt whenever he stopped to consider his situation for too long.

Verseus returned the kiss, guiding Harry onto his back again and leaning down over him, one hand smoothing across Harry’s chest and abdomen. Subtle as it was, Harry got the message: he would not be the dominant one here. Luckily for him, he didn’t mind at all. Ginny had always been that person in their relationship, too, so he was accustomed to it. Besides, he was going to need a little, er, _guidance_ in this, if things progressed much further.

And it seemed likely they would, for now that Verseus was no longer wearing metal armor, his erection was easy to feel where it nestled against Harry’s hip. Harry realized he had never felt that particular sensation before, and wasn’t prepared at all for how much it would jolt his own arousal. It was just so raw, so _male_ – the mirror of his own body’s reaction. In response, he moaned softly. He chased it with his hips, wanting to feel more, and knowingness blossomed in Verseus’ eyes.

“But you have never,” he said – though how he’d known, Harry had no idea.

“Not with a man.”

“But you wish to?”

Harry blushed and nodded, biting his lip.

“Would you like me to teach you?”

Harry didn’t know whether to laugh or not. The bluntness was one thing, but this unassumingness was another. Perhaps this was what advanced races did – they got to the point quickly and with an economy of words. How refreshing! If Harry were back on Earth, he was sure this type of conversation would have turned into an embarrassing, awkward negotiation, or be danced around for ages. Strangely, this forthright approach with Verseus wasn’t ruining the mood at all; quite the opposite, it was making him feel like an equal – respected and being given a choice. At the same time, he’d never been with a lover of Verseus’ caliber before and didn’t want to disappoint by being so inexperienced. He and Ginny had just bumbled through everything together, learning as they went.

“As long as you don’t mind being with someone who hasn’t been with a man before,” Harry said, aware that he was doing that thing where he masked his vulnerability by disassociating a bit. Yet at the same time, he was proud of himself for at least trying to keep up with Verseus’ directness. It was more than he would have admitted to a human partner at this stage, had he been back on Earth.

As usual, Verseus was unfazed. His gaze softened as he drifted the backs of his fingers down Harry’s cheek, his thumb catching on Harry’s bottom lip and dragging across it. “It would be my honor. I will ensure your pleasure in everything.”

Harry shivered, feeling the truth of those words in the electricity that zipped down his body.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> [1] What would you like me to speak of? That my work is a Paladin and I love to cook?  
> [2] Or do I tell you how beautiful I think you are?


	10. Chapter 10

**DAY 12**

Verseus held out his hand. “I have promised you a tour of my world. Would you like to see it?”

“What – you’re serious?” Harry froze, looking between Verseus’ hand and his face. “You mean now?”

“Yes, now,” Verseus said with a laugh. He wiggled the fingers of his hand, urging Harry to take it. When Harry did, Verseus pulled him closer. “I have been wanting to show you for days, but the Erudites would not let you be for even a moment!”

Harry grinned, hearing the good-natured exasperation in Verseus’ voice. It wasn’t much of an exaggeration, though. So far, he and Hermione had been in to see the Chronomancers every day since they’d arrived in Paineel. Sometimes it was for additional questions or points of clarification, other times for strange measurements or magics. Most of it just confused Harry. But it meant they hadn’t been able to do much else – until today, when Verseus had finally gotten permission to take them out of the research rooms and libraries for a while.

The first surprise had been in learning that Korrashu and Hermione were to join them on the tour. Harry would fly with Verseus, Hermione with Korrashu. They would not be stopping anywhere, however, or dismounting from the horses at all, since Norrath was not safe for them. But at least they would get to _see_.

The second surprise was that the tour would start directly outside of the guild hall, which was located in Kelethin – and where they soon found themselves in short order.

A small city (perhaps more of a village), Kelethin was built far up into the treetops. The buildings themselves resembled overlarge acorns, and the platforms, all set at varying heights, were connected by a series of tightly woven bridges. The residents, unsurprisingly, were fairies. Harry could only stand there, a half-smile on his face, his mouth open in wonder. The entire image of this place was one of the most charming things he had ever seen.

Verseus hadn’t let Harry move too far away from the guild door, however – not because the citizens would have minded or because he was trying to restrict Harry’s exploration, but because one wrongly placed foot could see Harry plummeting to his death. Indeed, these were some of the biggest trees Harry had ever seen, and the highest platforms (one of which they now stood on) had to have been a hundred feet off the ground – the equivalent of a 10-story building. Without wings or spells to stop a fall, this otherwise peaceful city could very well be fatal for him.

While looking his fill, Harry imagined what it would be like to zoom through these trees on a broomstick; to have his magic back at all, let alone in a place like this. He could race Verseus on his horse…

Harry hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until he felt his bottom lip being captured and gently nipped. He opened his eyes to discover Verseus was barely a breath apart from him, a soft look in those azure eyes.

“Where did you go just now?” Verseus asked, placing light kisses in the corner of Harry’s mouth.

“I was fantasizing that I had my magic here.”

“Oh? And what would you do?”

The kisses continued as though Verseus hadn’t even spoken. They remained small and sweet, but distracting enough that Harry almost lost his train of thought. With some effort, he refocused.

“I would fly without a horse.”

“Really?” Verseus asked. “Sexy.” A hand slid down Harry’s lower back to rest on the curve of his arse.

Harry decided not to shatter the illusion he’d inadvertently built by saying he meant flying on a broomstick. Somehow that didn’t seem very sexy. Instead, he leaned forward and let his lips be captured in another kiss.

“Get a room,” came the sardonic voice of a woman; one Harry hadn’t heard before.

Verseus merely chuckled against Harry’s lips, but Harry yanked away in surprise, embarrassed at being caught out, especially if that was actually censure he’d heard.

The voice, it turned out, belonged to a dark elf, shorter than Harry but no less intimidating for it. Her charcoal skin had a pinkish hue to it, which set off her violet eyes and white hair. And there was _a lot_ of skin, thanks to a very revealing outfit. Harry tried not to stare. It wasn’t that he was ogling, or really had any desire to, he was just surprised at how much of her body was on display when everyone else seemed to wear traditional attire or armor.

The dark elf stood with a hand on her hip, her lips pursed, and looked between he and Verseus. It seemed to prompt Verseus into action, though it did not wipe away his grin.

“Harry, I would like you to meet Luliel. She is a member of our guild, and my favorite sparring partner.” He said the last bit with exaggerated sweetness. Luliel merely raised an eyebrow.

“By sparring, I assume you mean routinely mopping the floor with you.”

Verseus laughed. “You only wish you could quest without my help!” The corners of Luliel’s mouth twitched; apparently the only concession she was going to give. Verseus finished his introductions. “This is Harry, he is a visitor to Norrath.”

“Ah, yes, one of the travelers I have been hearing so much about.” There was something about her demeanor, and the way she spoke – slightly dismissive, borderline sneer – that strongly reminded Harry of Professor Snape, to the point where he almost expected her to say, _Ah, yes, our new celebrity_.

Harry stuck out his hand in greeting but Luliel only lifted her head in a curt nod, her posture unchanged. “Charmed.” Then she seemed to look around. “Where is the other one?”

“With Korrashu,” Verseus said. “They should be here momentarily. Would you like to meet her?”

“I already have,” said Luliel. Harry wasn’t sure he liked the way her eyes glittered at that, but also didn’t get too long to think on it. Abruptly, Luliel strode between him and Verseus and into the guild hall beyond, giving Verseus’ arm a quick squeeze as she passed.

Once she was gone, Verseus leaned over to Harry in confidence. “She is also Kusadi’s mate.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he glanced towards the door Luliel had just disappeared through. Thinking about her and Kusadi, especially together, well… suddenly a lot of things made more sense.

#

Once Korrashu and Hermione had arrived (and Hermione had gotten her chance to look at Kelethin as well), the horses took flight for the tour. Verseus had offered to lead their party, and Korrashu had seen no reason to object. Verseus had also insisted that Harry ride in front of him in the saddle this time, so Verseus could better safeguard him, and also narrate in his ear.

Their first stop was a place called Enchanted Lands, which seemed to be aptly named: it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Tranquil and calm, with gently winding paths and storybook-looking trees. It was late evening when they arrived, which Verseus had intended, for he claimed it was more magical that way. Birdsong and loon calls were plentiful, and the inky sky meant two luminous moons and thousands of stars lit their surroundings from above.

The closer they flew to the ground, the more the place began to resemble a wild zoo. Tortoises roamed the shoreline, badgers and young deer grazed in open patches of grass, brown bears collected on riverbanks, closely watching for food. Everything seemed normal to Harry until they crested a large hill and dipped into the valley beyond. He blinked. Here, there were wasps the size of pigeons, green-skinned goblins hissing through pointy teeth, and floating droplets of dark goo that bobbed ominously as they moved. Verseus confirmed the latter was especially unpleasant to deal with. They smelled of rotted cheese and moldering flesh, and could suffocate you if you were not careful to protect your face.

Harry shuddered. Okay, so perhaps this area was more of a twisted, creepy fairy tale.

Swooping back around towards the shoreline again, the horses soared with outstretched wings until they reached the transport beacon at the end of the dock, and their next destination was set.

#

The first thing Harry noticed was the dry, hot air tickling at his nose. All at once, it seemed to suck the moisture out of his body. Squinting, he took in the view before them, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun. There were a few oasis-like areas with palm trees and small ponds of water dotted about, but overall, patches of green were sparse amid the endless, rolling sand dunes.

There were the usual things Harry expected to see in a desert: caravans of camels, cacti and other arid vegetation, merchants selling their wares from underneath simple tents.

What he didn’t expect to see were scarab beetles and spiders the size of Muggle trucks, or lumbering giants so tall, they’d put a Hogwarts turret to shame. Collectively, they made Aragog and Grawp seem almost… normal. Yet probably even more bizarre were the reanimated skeletons shuffling aimlessly through the sand. Were they alive? Were they dead?

“This is the Sinking Sands,” Verseus announced. “Maj’Dul is located over there.” He pointed off to the left and Harry could barely make out the mirage of a circular, walled city built on top of a rocky outcropping. It appeared there was a point in the distance where the sand stopped and the imposing bluffs of reddish rock began.

“Are we going to visit Maj’Dul?” Harry asked.

“Unfortunately, no. You cannot take flying mounts into the city.”

Harry frowned but nodded, half-expecting that answer. Instead of being disappointed, though, he returned his attention to all the things he _was_ getting to see. He had to admit, touring a place while flying above it was an efficient and fun way to explore. And he liked how private and protected it felt with Verseus tucked in behind him.

From the desert, they went to the Butcherblock Mountains, home of the dwarves who mined the bulbous gray rock for minerals and precious gems, and forged weapons from its iron. After that was Nye’Caelona, a regal-looking, open air palace built on one of the highest peaks in Obulus Frontier. Harry could only marvel at its craftsmanship, its curved partitions and soaring columns studded with green jewels and glittering gold, making the whole place gleam in the setting sun.

The gardens adjacent were lush and immaculately landscaped, filled with trickling streams and exotic flowers, one of which glowed icewater blue at twilight. Gliding through the center of it all, Verseus explained that the race of high elves who inhabited this palace were markedly different from his own kind, having long ago been exposed to corrupting magics, making them a genetically distinct race. Their faces became round and puffy, newly marked with strange symbols and lines, and their eyes began to glow the same chilling, icewater blue as their flowers. Apparently, the after-effects of their exposure had made them all go a bit mad, leading them to self-isolate and become fiercely territorial, attacking all intruders on site.

Harry felt like he’d heard Verseus mention the elves of Nye’Caelona before, perhaps something to do with his work as a Paladin, but he couldn’t remember exactly. Still, it was interesting getting to connect the dots on at least a few words and terms he’d heard bandied about, and to see places in person that were a part of Verseus’ life.

#

Their next location was underground, and stiflingly hot. Maldura was a city of industry deep inside the mountains of Thalumbra, its primary workers an army of gnomes with soot-covered faces and miner’s lights on their foreheads. Verseus stopped Radjur mid-flight so they could watch for a minute, the whoosh of wings around them stirring the air just enough to ruffle Harry’s fringe. It was still hot, but the gentle wind helped.

Harry supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised at the temperature when he realized what they were looking at. Rivers of molten rock flowed down large chutes, pouring into massive, cauldron-like vessels. From there, the glowing rivers separated further, routing along thinner and thinner channels, until finally emptying into blacksmithing forges at the bottom. Mine carts flew by overhead, clanking along their tracks, while enormous gears squeaked and groaned as they propelled the machinery ever onward.

The area behind them – Thalumbra proper – had a different feel. A vast cavern, cut through the mountain like a vicious slash, was filled with stalactites and stalagmites (Harry could never remember which was which). The bumpy landscape smoothed out as it reached the shore, for beyond it was a wide, subterranean lake, a crescent-shaped thing that curled around the back of the cavern. The air was cooler there, but not by much. Thick and humid, and stale from being underground, it was still hard to breathe. Blessedly, they did not linger for long.

Leaving the mountainous zone, they emerged into the night air and flew towards the next transport beacon. Harry welcomed the cool, crisp breeze with relish, and filled his lungs with it several times over. He hoped that would be the last of the cave-like spaces he’d have to experience on Norrath – they reminded him a bit too much of the underbelly of Gringotts, and all that had happened there.

Verseus leaned forward and informed him only two locations were left on their tour, then went back to navigating their horse.

Although Harry had only seen a small fraction of the planet so far, he was surprised at how similar Norrath was to Earth, at least in terms of topography: vast oceans and tropical forests, arid deserts and snow-capped mountains. It all seemed familiar in the way a habitable planet should. Yet despite the similarities, in almost every other way, Norrath was like a gigantic fantasy novel brought to life. A place with strange sights and even stranger creatures, as though someone had upended a whimsical book on these lands, sprinkling out every manner of species imaginable. And some unimaginable. A place that was nearly bursting at the seams with a magic Harry could barely fathom.

And a place that, in large part, was really, really growing on him.

#

Their flight through Kylong Plains took them over Karnor’s Castle – really more of a fortress, Verseus said – a structure that in its day might have been impressive, but now just had a distinct air of neglect. The lower walls were covered in a fine layer of moss, and several sections of the upper walls were missing bricks, now patched over with wood. Despite its disuse, the stronghold was still guarded by the Drolvarg race (hulking, hunched-over wolves that stood upright on two canine legs) and the Iksars (sort of a reptile in human form, with scaly bodies and thick lizard tails). Verseus noted that the Iksars’ insistence on being born from dragons was really nothing more than fanciful yearning, and that having been enslaved by dragons for a time was likely what created – and fueled – the fallacy. Regardless of their origins, both races seemed like formidable warriors to Harry, and he was doubly glad to be high up on a horse, avoiding the lot of them.

Banking Radjur from left to right, Verseus wove them through a series of giant redwood-style trees until they emerged into a clearing. They were overlooking a large body of water that disappeared into the horizon. It was almost midday here, which highlighted the stone wreckage along the shoreline. Peppered everywhere were pieces of toppled statues and the ruins of an old temple, their watery graves half-covered in sand and bleached seaweed.

But it wasn’t until they dipped down over the water that something happened which Harry had not expected to experience on Norrath. He nearly jumped as it pulsed and oozed over him. _Magic_. But not just any magic – a familiar, strong, buzzing magic that raised the hair along the tops of his arms. He’d forgotten all about that at Hogwarts, that separate but distinct source of magic that had seemed to emanate from below the castle itself. He whipped his head around to try and pinpoint the source. How was it possible he was feeling the same thing here, on a distant planet? And where _was_ here?

“What is this place?” he asked.

“The Lake of Ill Omen,” Verseus answered, speaking close to Harry’s ear.

Harry suppressed a shiver – not only from the vibration of Verseus’ voice against his skin, but also from the ominous-sounding name of what he thought was just an ordinary lake. But he should really know by now that nothing about this place, this planet, was ordinary.

“The dragons sank a city here,” Verseus went on, “called Veksar.”

 _Dragons._ Harry was starting to get a foreboding sense about them. So far, almost every aspect of their journey was tied up in dragons: the baton itself, the other items they’d found with it at Hogwarts, the fact that Nori had asked about dragons on Earth, the way everyone they’d met so far acted like there was _something_ they weren’t saying. It was seeming more and more likely that they would need to interface with dragons before their adventure on Norrath was over. And if the dragons here had their own language, enslaved a race of warriors, and invented time travel devices, he guessed they wouldn’t be like the kind he’d met on Earth, the ones who merely guarded a golden egg.

But also, and possibly more importantly, what was that _magic_?

#

Verseus had clearly saved the best – freakiest, coolest, most exhilarating – location for last. It was home to the Aviaks, a species that looked mostly human in shape, except for the head, feet and wings of a bald eagle. At Harry’s first glimpse of the islands, he clamped his legs firmly around the horse, gripping Verseus’ thighs so tight he probably would have left bruises if those legs hadn’t been covered in armor. “What the—”

Verseus chuckled next to his ear. “Welcome to the Overlands.”

“Those…But they’re…” Harry was gesturing wildly with one hand, while holding on for dear life with the other, really trying to make sense of what he was seeing but coming up empty-handed at every turn. Harry never considered himself afraid of heights before, but he supposed it was a different thing entirely when there was literally no ground to speak of, for the islands in front of him were _floating_.

Some were small and flat, others large and quite rocky, like they had formed around an airborne volcano. Gray rock, rounded by wind over a millennia, formed a ridge around many of the outside edges, which Harry thought was a decidedly good thing. He’d hate to think of someone making a wrong turn and simply stepping off the side. Most of the islands had abundant trees and shrubs, as well as stone monuments, watchtowers, or other simple structures. One even had a waterfall that ran right off the edge and into nothingness. Underneath the islands were tapered points of dirt with enormous roots twisted and tangled through them, and then… nothing. Just air – above, around and below him as far as the eye could see. All that anchored him to reality was Verseus’ steady presence behind him, and the strong arm wrapped across his chest.

How did the islands even stay _up_? And where would he _go_ if he fell?

“I have you,” Verseus assured him, tightening his hold.

Harry had been so caught up trying to make sense of what he was seeing that he didn’t realize how close Verseus had shifted until the skin on the back of his neck tingled. Despite not having access to his magic on Norrath, he’d discovered he could still detect magical energy from others if they were close enough. And Verseus’ magic, in particular, he’d grown accustomed to feeling, and it always made him squirm with excitement.

A warm mouth pressed a kiss to the side of Harry’s neck, and he shivered at the sensation of Verseus’ lips and nose nuzzling into the hair at the back of his neck, just behind his ear. Verseus’ hand slid lower on Harry’s abdomen and Harry suddenly had the wild thought of whether or not it was possible to have sex on a flying horse. He didn’t think that’s what Verseus had in mind, given that Hermione and Korrashu were still flying somewhere behind them, but since sharing a saddle like this had effectively been the most drawn-out foreplay Harry had ever experienced, he could admit ‘practical’ didn’t really factor into it.

Their positioning against each other also kept reminding him of the night previous, one that had found him kneeling backwards astride Verseus’ lap, his back pressed against Verseus’ chest (albeit the unclothed version then), and an arm anchoring his body, like now. Verseus had been inside him, rocking him while using his free hand to bring Harry off. Verseus had certainly proven to be an inspired teacher. It was a spectacular and mind-blowing position.

A voice next to his ear brought him back to the present.

“It is very difficult to resist you, holding you in my arms like this,” Verseus murmured. “I pick up the scent of your skin, your arousal, and I cannot help myself. I wish I could pleasure you here.”

Harry was surprised to hear himself say, “Why can’t you?”

Verseus froze for a moment, clearly not expecting him to say that, either. The arm around Harry’s chest tightened a bit, the fingers digging into him ever so slightly. He could feel Verseus’ grin curl against his cheek.

“Is that a request or a challenge?”

Harry wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, it was going straight to his cock. He was already half-hard from being wrapped in Verseus’ long limbs for the last hour, those solid, metal-clad thighs bracketing his hips. But ever since Verseus had started nuzzling into the hair at the back of his neck, placing warm kisses there and saying suggestive things, desire had begun pulsing through his veins. He squirmed at the question. “Both?” he said.

“E’yamen!” Verseus called out, snapping Radjur’s reigns. The horse sped up a bit, presumably to put some more distance between them and Korrashu’s horse. The rhythmic thrust of Radjur’s wings was even more pronounced now, which had the effect of generating a rather enticing up and down rhythm – something which Harry was about to discover could be leveraged quite effectively.

“Slide your hips forward and lean back against me,” Verseus instructed.

Harry did as he was told, his hands gripping the tops of Verseus’ thighs. He sucked in a breath when the hand clutching his chest slid down his abdomen and wound its way into the front of his Norrathian attire.

A hot tongue flicked at the shell of his ear. “You will have to be quiet so Korrashu and your friend do not hear.”

Harry nodded, his eyes closed, already fully surrendered to that skilled hand freeing his cock. Maybe it was because he was already so amped up, or maybe it was just the fact that there was a very real element of danger and discovery to the situation, but he knew he wasn’t going to last long. Not that he ever really could.

Verseus’ hand disappeared momentarily but returned almost as suddenly. Harry groaned when he realized why: Verseus had licked his palm to create some lubrication. When those elegant fingers slipped along Harry’s heated flesh, Radjur’s flight doing all the push and pull, Harry nearly went blind with lust. At that point, he wouldn’t have cared who heard him. Harry bucked his hips upwards, chasing his release. He was close. So close.

“Do you realize how hot you are, writhing in my lap like this?” Harry knew it was intended to sound in control, but he heard the catch in Verseus’ voice, the breathlessness of it, the way Verseus was trying not to squirm back against him. The torture he must be experiencing having an erection in metal armor. Harry guessed if it were a possibility, Verseus would have flipped him over and fucked him senseless atop this horse.

The mere thought of that proved to be Harry’s undoing. Mercifully, Verseus’ fingers tightened at the same time and Harry shuddered in relief – and release. It nearly took him by surprise, skittering as it had been along his nerve endings until he just went off, completely unaware of his surroundings.

Verseus clapped a hand over Harry’s mouth to muffle the volume of his moan and worked to draw out every last bit of his orgasm with some slow, languorous pulls of his own. Harry was really glad Verseus was holding tight to him, or he’d have just slid boneless off this bloody horse and right into oblivion – and probably not even cared one bit, because what a way to go.

He had also been correct about the effect their little interlude would have later. They had barely landed back in Paineel when Verseus turned to him, that crisp blue gaze shimmering with desire. Harry was already shirtless and thoroughly kissed by the time they reached the guest quarters. The sex that followed was urgent and intense, and like nothing Harry had ever experienced before: all-consuming, intimate, ablaze.

Afterwards, Verseus dallied with him for nearly an hour, bringing another release for both of them, massaging and teasing and utterly wrecking him with those lips and that tongue. (Elves, it turned out, had _a lot_ of stamina.) If this had all been the result of Verseus drawing out the tease for himself for an afternoon, Harry felt he could _definitely_ get on board with the practice.

Truthfully, he could get on board with a lot more where Verseus was concerned. Maybe everything more.

Sprawled on the bed, breathing heavily and waiting for his body to come back to him, Harry thought he should feel more startled by that. But the fact was, Paineel had already been (and would forever be) branded in memory as the place where the trajectory of his life had been irrevocably altered, where his inner world had been blasted open, where everything he thought he knew had been burned to the ground and rebuilt. And it wasn’t just because he got to witness the splendor of another planet while flying atop a winged horse, or because he’d spent most of the last two weeks experiencing one incredible pleasure after another.

It was because being with Verseus made him feel like even his craziest dreams were possible.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):
> 
> Luliel = loo LEEL


	11. Chapter 11

**DAY 19**

Harry loved it when Verseus wore his armor – it was his favorite thing to take off. (And out of all the different sets Harry had seen so far, this one was probably his favorite.) From a distance it looked mostly black – which had its own sort of appeal given the contrast with Verseus’ skin and hair – but up close it was embellished with glowing patterns of lines and shapes; subtle swirls of iridescent reds and purples. The slow animation of it was mesmerizing to watch. It also didn’t hurt that Verseus looked really hot while wearing it.

Harry bit his lip as he stepped closer. He removed both bracers from Verseus’ wrists, then reached for the belt piece that protected Verseus’ pelvis front to back. Lifting the jeweled keystone, Harry unhooked the clasp underneath and felt the whole thing release. He slid it off and set it aside. When he leaned back in to reach behind Verseus for the clasp at the top of the leg pieces, Verseus tipped Harry’s chin up and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Harry slid the clasp free for the leg pieces as Verseus grabbed the hem of Harry’s shirt. Harry pushed down while Verseus lifted up, and somehow they both managed to succeed at their task. Verseus kicked off his boots and stepped out of the legs to his armor, helping Harry set them on the floor, then tossed Harry’s shirt on top of it. They came together again and kissed languidly, Harry wrapping his arms around Verseus’ neck. They let their pelvises brush against one another, feeling each other’s bodies, letting that familiar heat begin to ignite between them.

With only his fingers, Harry felt for the clasp at the top of the breastplate and unhooked it, all the while tangling his tongue with Verseus’. Kissing Verseus had been something of a revelation, from that very first time back in New Halas to the blur of days since. Harry wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to kiss a woman again, not when there was something so primal and satisfying about kissing a man.

Sliding his hands down the cool metal covering Verseus’ back, Harry sought out the bottom clasp and undid that one as well. He loved that clink of metal on metal, not only for the sound, but for what it was about to uncover. The breastplate opened, and Harry and Verseus separated long enough for Verseus to slide it off and add it to the growing pile. When they came back together this time, Verseus resumed the kiss while slowly slipping his hands down into the back of Harry’s jeans, cupping and squeezing his arse. Harry sighed against Verseus’ lips and wiggled his hips, helping Verseus slide the jeans off his body without having to unbutton them. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside, the two now clad in only their undergarments.

Harry hopped up onto the bed, arranged himself on his back with his knees up, and hooked his thumbs under the waistband of his boxer-briefs. He slid them down as slowly as he could, carefully lifting around his erection, then tossed them aside. Verseus’ gaze darkened as he looked his fill, moving to climb onto the bed as well. Smoothing his hands up Harry’s legs, Verseus parted Harry’s knees and settled his body between Harry’s thighs. Leaning down, he licked a wet stripe up Harry’s abdomen, nibbled at a nipple, then moved to the column of a neck and the lobe of an ear before recapturing Harry’s lips in a kiss.

Harry wrapped his legs around Verseus’ hips, trying to pull their bodies together, but Verseus resisted; as Harry knew well by now, he liked drawing out the anticipation. It drove Harry nuts, but in the best possible way. Harry squirmed and grunted, twining his fingers into the hair at the nape of Verseus’ neck, and returned the kiss eagerly.

Balancing on one arm, Verseus slid down his own undergarments and kicked them aside, never once breaking the kiss. Then he began to lower his body down on top of Harry’s, earning him an excited gasp when their erections met. Harry squeezed his legs tighter around Verseus, wanting so badly to rub up against that smooth, lithe body above him, but knew Verseus would stop him.

Verseus slid a hand between their bodies, his palm between their groins. “Siirima,” he murmured, and Harry felt the area around his cock become warm and slick. It must have been some sort of lube spell. Propped on his elbows now, Verseus aligned himself so both of their cocks were nestled side-by-side in the area between their bodies. “I think you will enjoy this,” he said with a grin. Harry only had a few seconds to ponder what ‘this’ might be before Verseus pulled his hips back and then pushed forward with one slow, deliberate slide.

“Unnnnghhh,” Harry moaned, his eyes nearly rolling back into his head. He wasn’t expecting that. The friction was delicious with their cocks trapped between them, rubbing together in that tight, hot, makeshift channel. Harry hoped he didn’t embarrass himself and come too soon, but it just felt so amazing, he wanted to freeze this moment and never leave it. Then again, he usually felt that way when he was with Verseus.

Verseus kept that slow, controlled pace, balancing his body on his elbows and knees, presumably so he could ensure their pelvises remained pressed together the whole time. Harry could feel every detail of the way their bodies moved together and against one another. It was intense, but it was also melting the synapses in his brain. He’d never really considered all the ways men could be with each other, but whatever this was they were doing now might be his new favorite thing.

Harry had already learned that Verseus was a generous lover – sure-footed and thorough; a gentleman who saw to his lover’s needs before satisfying his own – but now he also seemed to be a mind-reader. Correctly sensing where Harry was in his pleasure arc, Verseus increased his speed a bit and alternated the rhythm. With a little twist of his hips, he pulled back with barely a graze of their bodies, then pushed forward again, practically grinding them together. Harry whimpered in pleasure, trying to remember to breathe. The telltale tingle of arousal started to climb up his spine, prodding him towards climax. _No, no, no_ _–_ _not yet!_ he thought wildly. He wanted to resist for a little longer, wanted to revel in the sensations, but his body succumbed to the onslaught and shoved him over the crest.

“Ohfuck… ohfuckohfuck…” Harry tensed, squeezing his legs around Verseus’ hips, and came hard. Verseus’ pace increased again in response, and Harry thought he was going to pass out from the heightened stimulation. He felt two strong hands cradle the crown of his head and two firm lips crash against his mouth. Even though Harry felt boneless, with little to no control over his limbs, he held on as best he could and gave everything he had back to Verseus. He owed the man at least that much for the care, protection and pleasure he’d been shown in the last few weeks. (God, had it only been a few _weeks_? Harry felt like he’d lived a lifetime in the past nineteen days.)

Verseus lifted his head and closed his eyes, breathing hard as he spent himself into the space between their two bodies. His pale, creamy skin flushed pink from exertion and release, and Harry didn’t think there had ever been a more beautiful sight. He let his legs flop down onto the bed and pulled Verseus’ face closer so he could kiss the flushed cheekbones, jawline and lips.

“That… was amazing,” Harry murmured once he’d reached Verseus’ lips. Verseus smiled back into the kiss, a sated, tender sort of expression on his face. Harry loved the way Verseus looked at him: gently, hungrily, and (hopefully he wasn’t inventing this one) fondly. Harry was no expert on relationships, especially ones with men, but if he’d seen that look on his own face, he would have interpreted it as affection. Perhaps a bit more. Perhaps a lot more. But he didn’t want to get ahead of himself, so he just let it remain unnamed, enjoying it while he still could.

#

A sharp knock to the door of Harry’s guest quarters startled the pair of them and they sprang apart a bit even though no one could see them. Harry gave Verseus an apologetic look and eased out from under him.

“Just a minute!” he called out while quickly searching the pile of clothing for something suitable to wear. He found his shirt and jeans and pulled them on while half-walking, half-hopping to the door. When he swung it open, he was surprised to find a new Erudite there. Harry didn’t recognize this one, but he was dressed in similar attire to the other researchers.

“You are needed in the library posthaste, Master Potter.”

A sliver of fear lanced through Harry. It had been several days since he and Hermione had been called in for questions or follow-up, so getting an urgent summons now didn’t bode well. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

“I am only here to summon you on behalf of your hosts. Please, follow me.” The Erudite bowed slightly and then stepped back, as though to invite Harry out into the hallway.

“Oh, um, one second… sorry, I just need to grab something,” Harry said, then partially closed the door so he could walk back into the room and around the wall to where the bed was. Verseus was lying on his side, his head propped up with a hand. Harry nearly stopped dead in his tracks at the view that was presented to him: miles of pale, toned flesh amid crisp, white linens; sparkling blue eyes inviting him in for more; the general fact that this gorgeous creature was there because of him, in _his_ bed. Harry squeezed his eyes shut for a second to clear his mind; he couldn’t afford this indulgence right now, no matter how much he ached to have it.

“They need me in the library,” Harry said. He wasn’t sure what else he wanted to say, but tried to stem the flow of panic that seemed to be rising in his chest. He wanted Verseus to go with him but didn’t know how to ask. All he knew was that whenever some new development occurred, he felt a little unmoored and anxious without the steady, protective feel of Verseus next to him.

Verseus seemed to understand, for he leaned over and took one of Harry’s hands, a gesture that made Harry look up and meet his eyes.

“Go. I will follow soon,” he said.

“Master Potter?” came the voice of the Erudite in the hallway. “We really must be going now!”

Verseus squeezed Harry’s hand and then released it, nodding his head towards the door and Harry’s summoner, as though to say _you_ _’_ _d better go_. Begrudgingly, Harry turned and walked out of the room, resisting the urge to look back at Verseus. He was afraid if he did, he’d go wrap himself in those arms and never leave again.

#

Hermione looked up when an Erudite she didn’t recognize walked into the room, a miserable-looking Harry in his wake. Harry looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. His clothing was rumpled, as though he’d dressed quickly, and his hair was even more askew than normal. The Erudite gestured to a seat across from where Hermione sat and Harry moved to comply, dropping into the chair as he glanced over at her. There was a question there she couldn’t decipher, though the worry around his eyes was unmistakeable. They hadn’t talked much in the last couple of days, so she wasn’t sure what was going on with him.

It wasn’t until Verseus walked into the room some minutes later that Hermione understood. Harry instantly sat up straighter, his eyes trying to track the elf’s movements without being too obvious (he wasn’t succeeding). At first glance, nothing seemed amiss: Verseus was still wearing the glowing black armor she’d seen on him earlier, his hair and everything about him seemingly unchanged. However, when Verseus glanced at Harry, the two making eye contact for the briefest of moments, Verseus made a subtle gesture towards his hair before turning to chat with Nori. Harry seemed to understand and attempted to smooth his own hair down, grinning like a loon the whole time.

Hermione had been right to think Harry had just rolled out of bed. He had, and Verseus had been there with him. She’d had suspicions before that something was going on between them, but this effectively confirmed it. What she couldn’t account for was the sharp pang of jealousy she felt at this realization. True, she only wanted the best for Harry – he’d had so few things in his life that were just for him, especially if those things were simply for pleasure or fun – but she couldn’t help feeling left out, like Harry was leaving her behind. He had found a way to make this place feel a bit more like home, and there she was, her head still stuck in a book. Then again, she was dating Ron back at home, so it hadn’t occurred to her to look at people here with anything more than academic interest. Well, except for Kusadi. The tempting necromancer had become quite the distraction in recent days.

She brushed those thoughts aside when Akila and Lurien approached the table. When the latter handed Harry a sheaf of parchments and instructed him to read them, Harry dove into his task with an ease and calmness that surprised her, especially since it was such a marked difference to how he’d entered the room initially. This was all due to Verseus’ presence? Perhaps Harry was more far gone than she thought.

Accepting her own parchments from Akila, she merely pretended to read them for a moment, using the opportunity to observe her surroundings more closely.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that Harry wasn’t the only one who couldn’t keep his eyes to himself. Verseus kept watch over him, even when he wasn’t looking directly at him; his attention never wavered from Harry no matter what else was going on in the room. Eventually, he turned his body to face where Harry sat under the guise of leaning against a bookcase behind him, his arms crossed over his chest. He was talking to Nori and casually surveying the room – and Harry – at the same time.

She also saw how Verseus looked at Harry when he didn’t know he was being observed – a quick softening of his features, a heavier droop to his eyelids, a tiny curve to his lips – and it made her heart ache. Did Ron ever look at her that way? Like she was the center of his universe and he couldn’t wait to be alone with her again? Ugh. Those damn romance novels she often read were putting foolish ideas in her head. They weren’t real life. Except proof to the contrary was staring her in the face. It was very blink-and-you’d-miss-it, but only because Verseus was good at masking his emotions, unlike Harry (about as subtle as a Hippogriff, that one).

Hermione watched Harry glance up from his reading to look for Verseus again, and upon finding where he was standing, bit his lip and smiled to himself before returning to his task.

Suddenly overcome with the need to not be in this room, Hermione stood up and walked towards the exit, murmuring something about needing to use the restroom. Once out in the hall, however, she kept going, recalling there was a door just ahead that led outdoors.

The sun was still shining when she emerged into the small courtyard, so she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, relishing the warmth on her face. She filled her lungs with the fragrant air, already feeling her thoughts and emotions begin to settle. This was exactly what she’d needed.

A familiar voice drifted over to her from across the courtyard, and her eyes popped open when she realized that voice was Kusadi’s. However, he was talking to someone else. Moving close to the fountain burbling away in the center of the garden, Hermione peeked around it to see Kusadi and Luliel by the flowering shrubs, their purple-gray skin a stark contrast against the white blossoms behind them.

But it wasn’t really the landscaping that caught Hermione’s eye, it was what the two dark elves were doing. Luliel was seated on a bench – lounging back against it, one arm draped along its back – while Kusadi kneeled on the ground before her, massaging her bare foot while it rested in his lap. It should have been a sweet, if not normal, gesture, yet there was something else to this, something in their dynamic that made it so Hermione couldn’t look away.

Leaning forward a bit to get a better view, she braced her hand on the fountain’s edge, only to startle at the sound of a sharp noise. To her horror, she realized she had been the cause of it: she’d trod on a twig and snapped it in two. She cursed under her breath, knowing she had likely just announced her presence. Then again, for two elves with such large ears, she figured they had excellent hearing and had probably already known she was there.

Sure enough, Luliel’s eyes swiveled slowly in her direction, and when they settled on her, a small smirk curled the corner of her mouth. She walked the foot that’d been in Kusadi’s lap up his chest, prompting him to cradle it with both hands. He bent his head to kiss along the top of her foot, then began lavishing attention on her largest toe, swirling his tongue around it before drawing it between his lips. Luliel closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the attention.

 _You would_ , thought Hermione, rather uncharitably. It was just that seeing them like this – seeing _Kusadi_ like this – was giving her an uncomfortable rush of feelings. He was practically fellating her big toe. It was very nearly obscene and he was doing it without complaint and Luliel was just so smug about it! Why was Kusadi allowing himself to be subjected this way? And why couldn’t Hermione stop thinking about the way his mouth wrapped around Luliel’s flesh, imagining that nimble heat and wetness on her body instead? She squirmed, a thrill zipping down her body and settling somewhere between her thighs.

Luliel’s eyes opened and sought out Hermione, her slitted gaze both assessing and amused. She pulled her foot away from Kusadi and leaned forward, sliding her fingers into his hair. Tightening her hold, she yanked him forward and into a bruising kiss. For all that it seemed to spurn him on, it was clear that Luliel was fully in command of it. Of _him_. And still she kept an eye on Hermione.

Suddenly, Hermione understood. This was all a performance. To tease her, to push her. But why? What did they _want_ from her? She gritted her teeth, angry at herself for not figuring it out sooner; for likely giving them the exact audience they wanted. She turned on her heel and marched out of the courtyard.

#

Back in the research room, Hermione tried hard to concentrate on the parchments before her, but the words kept drifting in and out of focus, her mind churning with thoughts of Kusadi.

She couldn’t help but continue replaying the scene in her mind, the way he seemed singularly intent on pleasuring Luliel, as though it was his duty, using her foot as a way to express what he’d rather be doing to the rest of her body. And Luliel did have one of those bodies, a veritable alter of feminine wiles, all slender limbs and sensual curves. She was gorgeous, but formidable. One look and you knew she was not to be trifled with.

The same was true for Kusadi as well, yet that did nothing to deter Hermione’s interest. If anything, it made him twice as appealing – a fact that frustrated her to no end because it lacked all sense of reason or logic.

Almost as if he was responding to some subconscious call, Kusadi strolled into the room, and Hermione couldn’t help but look up. He was the type of man who tended to pull one’s gaze. He joined Nori and Verseus before scanning the room. When his eyes settled on Hermione, his look seemed to intensify. She shivered, goose flesh spreading up the back of her neck and down her arms. How did he _do_ that?

Luliel entered after him, her movement so deliberate it was almost a prowl. Her purple attire left little to the imagination, now that Hermione could see it properly. A high collar connected to a strapless bodice, the two pieces joined by a small string of jewels. A large, triangular cut-out exposed her bare midriff, and the skirt – if it could be called that – was an ornate, belted loincloth. It covered her pelvis, then tapered to a point near her knees, leaving most of her legs bare. Matching purple sleeves covered her arms, though those seemed rather unnecessary given how little fabric was covering the rest of her.

Hermione watched in fascination as she joined her guild mates. Instead of snuggling up to Kusadi, as Hermione assumed she would do, she moved to Verseus’ side. Sliding an arm around his waist, she leaned in and briefly put her head against him, as though squeezing him in greeting. It was almost affectionate, which surprised Hermione. Luliel had seemed so aloof and calculating to this point – and a bit scary, honestly – as opposed to the type of woman who showed warmth. She stayed loosely in Verseus’ embrace, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder, and said something to him. Whatever it was, it made Verseus throw his head back and laugh. Nori laughed, too, and even Kusadi was smirking, his eyes fairly glittering. Luliel’s slim stature looked even more petite when Verseus put his arm around her shoulder, holding her against him, the pair of them enjoying the moment.

Glancing over at Harry, Hermione saw that he was watching the group as well, though he just looked amused by association – his expression curious, not suspicious. Hermione wished she could see it that way, too, but knew Harry probably only had eyes for Verseus and was likely ignoring the rest. And she could see the appeal: Verseus was certainly attractive. Tall, strong and elegant, his bearing was almost regal at times. But something about him was too noble for her. What did it say that she was helplessly drawn to the aura of danger that Kusadi represented? Dark, mysterious, sexy. Even crossing a room, there was something sensuous about the way he moved; deliberate and precise. Hermione bet he would be a fantastic lover.

_God, what is wrong with me?_

She shook her head to try and clear that line of thought, and once again attempted to focus on what she’d been asked to read. Out of nowhere, Nori dropped into the chair next to her and leaned close.

“How is your reading going?” she asked with a grin.

Hermione blushed, feeling very young and caught-out in that moment. She had always thought of herself as the mature, observant one in her group of friends. She couldn’t believe how absorbed she’d been recently, and with a man, of all things. “Not much gets by you.”

Nori’s grin widened. “Not much, no. Our boys do seem to be having an effect on you two.”

Hermione didn’t need to ask which ‘two’ Nori was referring to, though it appeared things had worked out just fine for Harry. “Is he casting some kind of spell on me to get my attention? I swear, I’m not normally like this!”

Nori chuckled. “No. But dark elves are naturally alluring. They know it, too.”

Hermione put her face in her hands and groaned quietly. “Whenever he’s in the room, it’s like I can’t focus or think. He’s so distracting!”

She felt a warm fingers grab one of her hands and pull it away from her face. Hermione opened her eyes to see Nori smiling at her. There was concern behind those gray eyes, though.

“Be careful, my dear. He has his own reasons for doing what he does, and those reasons may not match with yours.”

Hermione’s heart jumped into her throat, a familiar sense of dread tickling down her spine. “He’s dangerous, isn’t he.” It wasn’t a question.

Nori paused, as though trying to decide how much to say. “Not to you. He is not always pleasant, but he is respectful towards women and loyal to our guild. It may surprise you, but I trust Kusadi with my life.”

Hermione believed it. Despite only knowing Nori for a short time, Hermione knew she had a lot of integrity; her actions always matched her words. So if Nori trusted Kusadi, then Hermione did, too.

It brought to mind Kusadi’s earlier tête-à-tête with Luliel, along with the other times Hermione had interfaced with him since that first day in the Commonlands. Nori’s assessment seemed to hold true. In every case, Kusadi had been exactly that: respectful, but not what she would call pleasant or nice. Then again, she already had _nice_ back at home. Perhaps that was the appeal of Kusadi – his opposite-ness; his air of risk and unpredictability.

Nori continued, her voice lowered. “If Kusadi invites you to his bed, it is for a specific reason. You may do as you please, but do not mistake it for an affair of the heart.”

Hermione sneered a bit to cover her confusion and disappointment – though why she should be either, she didn’t know. “Well, of course he isn’t trying to woo me romantically.”

Nori tipped her head and grinned again. “Ah, but what is more romantic than the irredeemable bad boy?”

Hermione froze, then laughed in spite of herself, her cheeks pinking. “Okay, point taken.” Sometimes Nori was a bit _too_ observant. “Thank you, though – really. Whatever I choose to do, I promise to keep my wits about me.”

Nori briefly squeezed her hand. “Smart girl.”

#

Tollarin entered the room along with Nilul, the pair of them conferring briefly, and then Nilul stepped aside so Tollarin could stand at the head of the table. Akila and Lurien were already seated next to Harry and Hermione, having entered on their own moments before. The room quieted.

“The parchments you have before you,” Tollarin announced, indicating him and Hermione, “are a detailed record of our research and findings. Unfortunately, we have reached the limits of our knowledge on this subject, and regret to inform you that we have no solution to offer.” A wave of shock and murmured conversation erupted around the room. Tollarin merely held up his hand and waited for the room to quiet again. “I am afraid you have no choice but to seek counsel from the dragons.”

Harry shared a panicked look with Hermione as Lurien gasped. “But dragons cannot be trusted!”

Tollarin nodded his head, looking a bit impatient with how his announcement was playing out. “That cannot be helped.” He set the baton on the table. “This is a Draconic device, so consult with the dragons was always a highly probable outcome. Our knowledge can only take us so far.”

Akila jumped in. “If this device opened the time road, it is likely a marker of many things, including the most crucial of all: when. Even if we knew your origin, a time road would connect with your planet at the same relative time as it is here. But relative to Norrath, that could be five minutes in the future or it could be fifty years in the past. Without the marker, we cannot know or control the when.”

Harry sighed. So they’d just lost two weeks on what, nothing? He’d pretty much called that one. Not that the past two weeks had been a waste – not even remotely. He chanced a quick look at Verseus and smiled to himself.

“What about the symbols on the ends of the baton?” Hermione asked.

“We believe they do hold particular significance,” Tollarin agreed. “Nilul indicated this one” – he pointed to the circle with the squiggly line through it – “represents Norrath. The other symbol may represent your planet, but we cannot be certain. Either way, that knowledge would offer little guidance in terms of your planet’s precise location within the universe.” Likely seeing the expressions on the faces around him, he added, “Dragons are magically gifted creatures who revel in mastery of time travel. If you recall, they _built_ this device. Do not underestimate their capabilities.”

“Or their dislike of visitors,” Lurien muttered, and Harry’s eyes went wide.

“It is a fool’s errand!” Kusadi said. “I will not risk myself for some—” but Nori cut him off with a hand to his chest.

“Thank you, Tollarin.” She nodded at him. “Akila, Lurien.” She nodded at them as well. “We appreciate you hosting us these past two weeks and for doing all you could to assist us. We are grateful. We shall take it from here.”

Tollarin bowed. “You are most welcome. Please, keep us informed should you learn more on your own. We would be most pleased to continue this work with additional insight.”

Something wasn’t quite adding up, but Harry wasn’t sure what it was. Nori had seemed awfully quick to cut Kusadi off and say farewell to their hosts. Maybe she and Nilul had discovered something on their own while the Erudites had been researching?

Verseus started to move towards Harry.

“Take him to Onatah’s,” Nori told him, rubbing a large, jeweled ring on one of her fingers. “We will convene there.” Verseus gave her a curt nod in return.

“Onatah’s? What’s that?” Harry asked, unaware that a large, shimmering portal had just appeared directly behind him.

Instead of an answer, Verseus’ arms engulfed him, the momentum of which propelled them two steps backwards, and then blackness hit.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations (for those who like to have them):
> 
> Onatah = oh NAW tuh


End file.
